PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico men’s soccer team (4-0-0) will look to extend its wining streak this weekend as they travel to Bismark, N.D. for a pair of games against the University of Mary and Montana State-Billings.
ENMU will face the Marauders Thursday at 4 p.m. and the Yellowjackets Saturday at noon. The last time the Hounds won five consecutive games was in 2013 and have never won six in a row as a program.
LAST WEEK
After becoming the first squad in program history to defeat two nationally ranked opponents in the same season the Eastern New Mexico men’s soccer team continued its historic start with two consecutive 2-1 overtime victories over Dixie State and Westminister (Utah).
The Hounds were out-shot 12-11 against Dixie State but were by far the more efficient team, totaling nine shots on goal compared to the Trailblazers six. Sophomore Joe Conway began a dominate first half performance by Eastern with a goal in the first five minutes of the match. Junior Charlie Hackshall sent a perfectly placed through ball as Conway bolted past the defense and beat the keeper in a one-on-one matchup to give the Hounds a 1-0 advantage. Dixie State came out of halftime with much more focus and netted a goal in the 47th minute. The Trailblazers continued to press offensively but junior Ross Dalton provided the Hounds with a stellar effort in goal who totaled five saves and forced the match into overtime. ENMU began the overtime period firing on all cylinders and forced a timely mistake by the Trailblazers defense as an own goal from Dixie handed the Hounds the victory at the 90:51 mark.
In the match against Westminster it was again the Greyhounds relentless offensive attack that broke up the tied ball game following a Griffins own goal in the 57th minute. The Hounds played outstanding defense throughout most of the match but allowed a pivotal goal with 30 second left on the clock as a Griffin forward corralled the rebound off a Dalton save and buried the ball into the net to tie the ball game at one goal apiece. With just under six minutes into the overtime period Eastern was awarded a crucial corner kick. Hackshall centered the ball into the box and found junior Joaquin Borruel who headed the ball to Conway who scored the game-winner from two yards out.
SCOUTING THE MARAUDERS
The Marauders have yet to pick up a victory in 2019 after dropping games to South Dakota School
of Mines and Humboldt State last week.
Mary has scored just three goals and have surrendered 12 in its first four games of action.
The Marauders are led by Head Coach and former men’s soccer All-American Dave Cook. Cook enters his eighth season at the helm of the program and has compiled a 29-83-13 overall record.
Sophomore midfielder Blake Palmquist has recorded a team-best three points on one goal and an
assist.
Freshman midfielder Tresor Mugawaneza and sophomore forward Joseph Frediani have also contributed offensively for the Marauders and have each netted a goal.
Junior midfielder Keaton Boehm has not recorded a point so far this season but has turned in
solid playing time as he leads the squad with 360 minutes played and four shots on goal.
In the backline Mary will rely on junior defender Joseph Stanley who has recorded an assist and eight shots while logging 343 minutes which is second-highest on the team.
Senior goalkeeper Lukas Billhardt will man the net for the Marauders who has totaled 19 saves on 41 shots faced. Billhardt has allowed eight goals with a .704 save percentage.
SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS
The Yellowjackets enter the week with mixed results after falling to Humboldt State 0-2 before
salvaging the weekend with a 4-0 shutout over South Dakota School of Mines.
MSUB boasts one of the best defenses in the Great Northwest athletic Conference as they rank second in saves (24), goals against average (.95), and rank third in goals allowed (4).
Montana State-Billings also fields a capable offense and are third in total shots (48) and fourth in goals (5) and assists (4).
Head Coach Thomas Chameraud leads the Yellowjackets in his fourth year. in 2017 Chameraud assisted Head Coach Alex Balog in route to GNAC C0-Coach of the Year honors. As a player, Chameraud set the single-season record with 11 assists during his senior year in 2012.
Sophomore midfielder Andres Perez garnered GNAC Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring two goals and an assist. Perez’ five points rank second in the conference
Freshman goalkeeper Jessy Martin has quickly established himself as one of the best defensive players in the league after earning back-to-back GNAC Defensive Player of the Week awards. Martin leads the conference with 24 saves and ranks second with a .95 goals against average and a .857 save percentage. Martin recorded his first career shutout against SDSM.
2019 Story Lines
ENMU men’s soccer returns to the Lone Star Conference for the first time since 2012 with the top six teams receiving bids to the conference tournament in November.
The Hounds continue to prove they are one of the best teams in the country and have outscored their opponents eight goals to two.
National recognition
The red-hot Hounds continue to move up the national rankings as they climbed four spots from last week and currently sit at No. 13 in the second United Soccer Coaches Poll released Tuesday. The undefeated Hounds are the first squad in program history to receive a national ranking.
NEW LOOK HOUNDS
On top of a strong core of returners, second year head coach Jon Fridal also brought in 16 newcomers to join the team during the 2019 campaign, including six high school signees and 10 transfers.
Newcomers Conway and Hackshall have made immediate impact for the Hounds as they lead the squad in goals (2) and assists (3) respectively. Junior defender Robbie Jenkinson is another fresh face that has contributed quality playing time as he is tied for the team lead with 367 minutes.
SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
The Green and Silver open their conference schedule on the road, Sept. 26 as they face No. 5 West Texas A&M on The Pitch in Canyon, Texas in a match that is sure to hold major playoff implications. ENMU will get a second shot at their longtime rival on Oct. 17 as the Hounds host the Buffs at Greyhound Stadium in a meeting that will not count towards conference record but be sure to help the victor in the national rankings.
CONFERENCE LEADERS
The Greyhounds boast a well-balanced squad, and rank in the top five of most major offensive and defensive categories across the conference. Offensively, ENMU ranks fourth in points and goals after recording 21 points and scoring eight goals. On the defensive side of the ball the Hounds are ranked second with 20 saves and are tied for third in goals allowed with two. ENMU’s two shutouts is tied for the fourth-best mark in the LSC.
Eastern also fields some of the best individual players in the Lone Star including Hackshall and Dalton. Hackshall has the second most assists with three while Dalton has recorded the most shutouts and ranks second with 20 saves and third with a .491 goals against average.
HOUNDS ON THE ROAD
In true road games this season the Hounds have produced a perfect 2-0 record. ENMU began the year with a 2-0 road win over then ranked No. 17 Colorado Mesa beating the Mavericks in dominant fashion. Last week the Greyhounds went into Trailblazer Stadium and took a 2-1 overtime victory over Dixie State.
HOUNDS AT NEUTRAL SITES
Eastern had never competed in a neutral site game before last week’s meeting against
Westminster in St. George, Utah. The Hounds returned home from the road trip with a hard
fought 2-1 overtime victory.
