PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico men’s soccer team will look to remain undefeated inside Greyhound Stadium as they host St. Mary’s and No. 16 Texas A&M International this weekend.
Hungry for their first Lone Star Conference victory, the Hounds face the Rattlers Thursday at 7 p.m. before taking on the nationally ranked Dustdevils Saturday at noon.
Last Week
With just one game last week the Eastern New Mexico men’s soccer team earned its first ever Lone Star Conference point after battling to a 0-0 draw against UT Tyler. The Hounds will look for more favorable results this week when they host SMU and TAMI, who rank third and second respectively in the conference.
Eastern created plenty of offensive chances but were unable to find the back of the net as they recorded a 0-0 draw against UT Tyler last Saturday night. The Hounds earned ten corner kicks and out-shot the Patriots 23-13, with a .478 shots on goal percentage but were unable to turn those opportunities into goals. Junior keeper Ross Dalton recorded his fifth shutout of 2019 as he tied the program all-time single-season record for blank sheets last set by Severin Niessen in 2013. Dalton stopped every ball sent his way and finished the game with nine saves. Center backs Joaquin Borruel and Robbie Jenkinson anchored a strong backline for the Hounds as the pair played the entirety of the match, logging 110 minutes. Sophomore Joe Conway led the way offensively as he totaled a game-high four shots with one making it on goal.
Scouting the Rattlers
The Rattlers enter the match after going undefeated last week with a 3-2 victory over DBU and a 2-0 shutout win over St. Edward’s.
Head Coach Johnny Clifford enters his second year at the helm of the St. Mary’s men’s soccer team and has compiled a 15-7-3 record during his tenure with the Rattlers. In 2018, Clifford led his team to its highest winning percentage since 1997 as well as its highest ranking in program history, as the squad was ranked 11th by the United Soccer Coaches poll.
SMU holds the fourth lowest goals against average after allowing seven scores over the course of its first eight matches however, also holds the fourth lowest save percentage at .682.
Junior midfielder Ollie Wright heads the Rattlers offensive attack as he leads the squad with eight points on three goals and two assists. Wright ranks third amongst LSC competitors in shots (27) while tied for second in game-winning goals (2).
Junior defender Alain Peralt anchors St. Mary’s backline and has played every minute this season for the Rattlers, logging 740. The Mountain Home, Texas native has also recorded six shots with three making them on goal.
SMU fields sophomore keeper Jacob Sayle between the pipes. The Syndey, Austrailia native has recorded three shutouts in 2019 and holds the fourth lowest goals against average in the conference at .851 despite recording just 15 saves on 71 shots faced. Sayle’s .682 save percentage is the fourth-worst in the league.
Scouting the Dustdevils
The Dustdevils suffered their first loss of the season at the feet of St. Edward’s by a score of 4-2 before rebounding with a dominant 4-0 victory over DBU.
TAMI boasts one of the most high-powered offenses in the Lone Star and rank second with 58 points on 21 goals and 16 assists. The Dustdevils have totaled 127 total shots and lead the league with 69 shot on goal.
Leading the Dustdevils is Head Coach Claudio Arias who has compiled an impressive 134-11-24 record in 15 seasons. Under Arias’ leadership, the Dustdevils have won three Heartland Conference Regular Season Championships including back-to back titles in 2010 and 2011 while coaching 47 players to all-conference honors.
Offensively the Dustdevils will look to senior midfielder Ruben Nielsen who has established himself as one of the most efficient scorers in the LSC as he ranks in the top three in four separate categories. Nielsen leads the league with 37 total shots and ranks third in points with 17 on six goals and five assists.
Freshman defender Guy Gutgold has made an immediate impact in the backline for the Dustdevils as he leads the squad with 630 minutes played in just his first collegiate season.
Senior goalkeeper Josh Jones has started all eight games in net for Texas A&M International and has allowed ten goals on 64 shots faced will totaling 23 saves with a .697 save percentage.
2019 Story Lines
The Green and Silver have appeared to be in spectacular form after finishing their non-conference schedule with a perfect 6-0-0 record while posting a 7-1-1 overall mark.
After just five weeks of play, the 2019 Hounds have established themselves as one of the best in the 16-year history of the program. They are currently one shutout shy of owning the ENMU single-season record while their seven victories are tied for seventh all-time. The Hounds are on pace to move into the top ten in six different statistical categories. The 2019 squad owns the lowest single-season goals against average (.78) while posting the highest save percentage (.865). They also rank fourth in goals per game (2.00), fifth in points per game (5.44) and seventh in assists per game (1.44) as well as saves per game (5.00).
Taking Notice
This week marks the first of the 2019 season that the men’s soccer program has dropped out of the United Soccer Coaches National Top 25 Poll. The Hounds climbed as high as No. 9 before dropping out of the rankings this past week, however they are still receiving votes.
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 with 49 points on 18 goals and 13 assists while ranking fifth with 114 total shots. On the defensive side of the ball the Hounds are tied for second in saves (45) and shutouts (five) while posting the third-lowest goals against average (.78).
Eastern also fields some of the best individual players in the Lone Star including juniors Charlie Hackshall and Ross Dalton. Hackshall not only leads the conference but is tied for a nation-high six assists. Hackshall has also recorded a goal and his eight points are tied for the eighth-highest mark in the league. Dalton leads the conference with five shutouts and 45 saves and holds the second-best save percentage (.865) and fourth-lowest goals against average (.753).
Hounds at Home
The Green and Silver have been outstanding when playing in front of their home fans inside Greyhound Stadium this season posting a perfect 2-0-0 record while outscoring their opponents 7-2.
The Hounds were able to shutout previously ranked No. 3 Fort Hays State 2-0 in their home opener before taking a dominant 5-2 victory over UT Permian Basin last week.
Eastern has posted an 8-3-0 record in home contests the past two seasons under Head Coach Jon Fridal.
Schedule Outlook
Next week the Hounds host longtime arch-rival No. 22 West Texas A&M in a non-conference matchup. Eastern will look to avenge a 1-3 road defeat that they suffered to the Buffs in their conference opener.
Following the grudge match against WT, the Hounds will pack their bags as they travel to DBU Thursday Oct. 24th before facing off against St. Edward’s Saturday, Oct. 26.
Score First, Ask Questions Last
With 15 total victories under Coach Fridal’s belt all have come when the Hounds score the match’s first points, posting a 15-3-1 overall record in that scenario. The Hounds have also compiled an impressive 14-1-1 record when netting more than two goals in a match under the tutelage of Fridal.
