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| Photo By: Tim Barnett-Queen |
While the city of Las Cruces continues to endure 100-degree
weather, the fact that fall has begun was marked by Friday’s Crimson and White
soccer scrimmage in front of 187 fans.
The white squad, consisting of the first-team starters,
defeated their crimson counterparts 3-0.
Cassie De Leon, Jennae Cambra, and Mary Kate Koziol all scored
goals. Yolanda McMillion added an assist
on De Leon’s goal.
Second-year head coach Blair Quinn heavily critiqued the
play of both squads, even if the final score was meaningless.
“[The scrimmage] was good, I was actually pleasantly
surprised to be honest,” Quinn said. “I
thought, especially in the first half, the white group specifically was really
well connected. The midfield was
outstanding – Elise, MK, and Daisy. They
were getting more options out of the forwards to find ways to get in and score
a couple of great goals.”
The white squad’s defense also played stellar, allowing only
two shots on goal that were saved by goalkeeper Jessica Schutter.
“The defending line was playing well by themselves. The midfield line, the forward line were each
playing well by themselves but we weren’t playing well together yet and
connecting,” Quinn added.
The Aggies are running out of time to become a single, fluid
team.
New Mexico State will leave this week for Boise, Idaho where
they begin the regular season at the Holiday Inn Classic. The Aggies play host-team Boise State on
Friday, Aug. 17 and then Idaho State on Sunday, Aug. 19.
“I think we’re as good as we should be for where we are now,
but I still think in the next week we need to tighten some things up and get
better,” Quinn said. “But I think with
the few things we have we can do that in a week, whereas last year I just felt
like we were so far behind and still trying to prepare for that first
weekend. I really feel like we’re in a
good spot to get ready for that week.”
The difference – the Aggies return seven seniors and nine
starters from a season ago, including senior forward McMillion who earned second-team
All-WAC honors in 2011.
Despite the returning experience, the Aggies were picked to
finish in eighth place out of nine teams in the Western Athletic Conference in
the coaches’ poll released last week.
Only Louisiana Tech was picked to finish lower than New Mexico State.
“I don’t know [why]. A lot of those guys are my friends that I’ve
known for a long time and maybe they see something in the new teams that are
coming in,” Quinn laughed. “You know we
got overlooked last year and I think a couple teams paid for it, and that’s
fine. If they overlook us again I’m okay
with it.”
Denver University and Seattle University join UTSA and Texas
State as new additions to WAC soccer.
Denver and Seattle do not have football programs but will participate in
the WAC in many sports, including men’s basketball.
Seattle U has a rich soccer tradition, primarily because they
are located in an area of the country where the sport is popular. The Redhawks consistently play Pacific-12
teams; and play them tough.
Last year New Mexico State advanced to the WAC Semifinals
for the first time in program history with a 2-1 victory over Hawai’i.
Utah State won the 2011 WAC Soccer Championship, defeating Fresno
State 1-0.
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