PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico women's soccer team is ready to close out regular season play this week as the Hounds host UT-Permian Basin on Friday at 1 p.m. before taking on Angelo State at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
LAST TIME OUT
Eastern (6-7-2, 4-5-1 Lone Star Conference) is looking to bounce back from a rough week as the Hounds fell 3-0 at Texas Woman's on Friday before dropping a heartbreaking 1-0 decision at Texas A&M-Commerce on Sunday.
Despite dropping a 1-nil match to the Lions, ENMU had some great chances. In the 56th minute, freshman forward Anahi Hernandez had the best scoring chance for the Hounds, but her shot hit the inside of the post and bounced out, keeping the match scoreless at the time. After the Lions scored the go-ahead goal at the 76:48 mark, Eastern had one last chance after TAMUC was called for a foul in the box with just four seconds remaining. Junior midfielder Samantha Fabela's shot was saved as time expired.
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
UT-Permian Basin enters the match with a 2-11-2 record and a 1-8-1 mark in LSC play. While the Falcons currently hold last place in the conference, UTPB is currently battling Midwestern State for the sixth and final spot in the LSC Tournament as the Falcons are just one point back of the Mustangs for the No. 6 spot.
Last week, UT-Permian Basin picked up their first win in LSC play. After falling 4-1 at home to Angelo State last Wednesday, the Falcons went on the road and came away with a 2-1 victory over Midwestern State on Friday.
UTPB comes into the match with the worst scoring offense in the conference, as the Falcons have only scored eight goals this season in their 15 matches. However, the Falcons have been scoring better as of late as they scored three of their eight goals last week.
Leading the scoring efforts for Lea Walenta and Ariel Roybal with two goals apiece this season while Walenta leads the team with five total points.
HISTORY WITH THE FALCONS
Eastern leads the all-time series against UT-Permian Basin with an 8-4 record since the inception of the rivalry in 2004. The Hounds have won the last two matches against the Falcons and the last four matches have ended in a 1-0 score.
In their last meeting in Odessa back on Oct. 7, Eastern scored the game-winner in the 108th minute of second overtime. The Hounds game-winning goal came off a free kick by senior Bailey Bosley and Victoria Nuñez's pass on the left side in the box found Keyara Zuniga as she kicked in the game-winner with her heel to get the 1-nil victory.
The last time the two teams met in Portales was on Oct. 15, 2017. After a UTPB player was issued a red card in the 84th minute, the Hounds took advantage, scoring the game-winner in the 85th minute pull out the 1-0 win.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
With a 9-5-2 overall mark and a 7-2-1 mark in conference play, Angelo State comes into the week as the No. 2 team in the Lone Star, just two conference points ahead of Texas Woman's.
In the midst of a four-game road stand to end the season, the Rams picked up a pair of road victories with a 4-1 win at UT-Permian Basin last Wednesday and a 2-1 victory at Midwestern State on Sunday.
ASU is a team that has been scoring in volume this season, as they rank second in the conference with 33 goals scored in 16 matches, averaging 2.063 goals per game. The Rams are also only one of three teams in the conference with a positive scoring margin, outscoring opponents by 0.81 goals per match.
Offensively, the Rams are led by the top goal-scorer in the Lone Star Conference in Trenadey Scott. Scoring 13 goals in 14 matches, Scott has outscored the next-closest goal scorer by three goals. Scott is also the conference leader with 28 points off her 13 goals and two assists. ASU has also got some scoring from Cassandra Moosbacher, who is sixth in the conference with five goals this season as well as Mackenzie Broderick, who is tied for eighth with four goals.
On the defensive end, the Hounds will likely see Kira Miller in-goal for the Rams. Miller has started in all 16 matches for Angelo this season, possessing a 9-5-2 record. Miller ranks third in the LSC with a .813 save percentage and fourth in the conference, conceding 1.201 goals per contest.
HISTORY WITH THE RAMS
Angelo State leads the all-time series against Eastern with a 19-3-1 record in the series that started in 2003. The Hounds will be looking to snap a 10-match losing streak against the Rams, with their last win coming on Oct. 12, 2014 in Portales.
In their last meeting on Oct. 5, 2018 in San Angelo, Texas, the Rams defeated the Hounds by a final score of 4-0. Despite being outscored in the match, Eastern out-shot Angelo 14-13, including a 7-6 edge in shots on-goal.
LOOKING TO STAY HOME ON HALLOWEEN
With the Lone Star Conference Tournament First Round game falling on Oct. 31, the Hounds are looking to stay home by earning one of the top four seeds. Eastern has already locked up a spot in the LSC Tournament for the fifth consecutive year, but the Hounds are seeking the opportunity to host their first ever conference tourney match. Currently the Greyhounds are two conference points back of the Lions for the No. 4 spot. If Texas A&M-Commerce falls to Texas Woman's tonight and the Hounds defeat UTPB tomorrow, Eastern will move into the No. 4 spot before the Angelo State match on Sunday.
CELEBRATING SENIORS
On Sunday, the Hounds will be honoring their three seniors, Kaitlyn Caro, Bailey Bosley, and Sonny Narvaiz following the completion of the Angelo State match.
In her two years at ENMU, Caro has appeared in 33 matches and made 20 starts. She has recorded four goals in two years and was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week earlier this season after scoring a goal in a 2-0 win against Texas A&M-Commerce. Her other goal came in Eastern's 4-0 win over Southern Nazarene on Sept. 15.
Bosley is in her lone season with Eastern, but has played a major impact, appearing and starting in 13 matches. Bosley is tied for the team-lead with two goals, two assists and six points along with Fabela. She scored the team's only goal in a 2-1 loss to Fort Lewis on Sept. 7 and scored one of the team's four goals against Southern Nazarene.
In four years at ENMU, Narvaiz has appeared in 45 games and has made 26 starts. In her redshirt freshman season in 2016, she recorded a pair of assists and last season, she made a career-high four shots on-goal. This season, Narvaiz has appeared in nine matches and his made two starts.
