Tech Miners Back to .500

by Coach Paul Fuierer

The New Mexico Tech Miners, competing in the first division of the Albuquerque Soccer League (ASL), are back to a 0.500 record for the 2002-2003 season. After a long drought of winless games, the men's soccer team has won back-to-back games in the last two weeks, improving their ASL record to 4-4-2.

On the Sunday prior to embarking on spring break jaunts, the Miners met at Milne field in Albuquerque to take on the RRAC Knights club team. The first half was an exciting back and forth game with scoring opportunities for both sides. About 20 minutes in, a Knight blasted a 25-yard shot, deflecting off of the corner post and crossbar. As the Knights wallowed in their misfortune, the Miners recovered the ball and quickly mounted a counter-attack with three forwards and two midfielders streaking down the field and bearing down on the Knights defense. With his defense outnumbered, the Knights keeper came out of the goal to try and cut-off the shot early. Center forward Tyson Gobble easily chipped it past, but a Knight defender sprinted across the goalmouth and deflected the ball with his hand. The ensuing penalty kick by Maurizio Leo was the first goal of the game. The Knights answered back with two goals of their own. The Miners had several more scoring opportunities in the first half, including three one-on-ones with the goalkeeper. But the guardian Knight of the net displayed his own skill by rejecting them, and helped his team retain a 2-1 lead at half time.

Knowing that the scoring chances would be there, the Miners took it to the Knights during the second half. The crowd was thoroughly impressed when Leo received the ball with his back to the goal at the 30 yard line, quickly pushed the ball to his right, turned and launched a perfect shot into the upper far corner of the goal. That got the rally started. Just minutes later, Leo hit a deep corner kick ball to the opposite side, which Nate Vanderlinder one-timed out of the air and placed perfectly in front of the goal for an incoming Collin Horvat to finish. Eventually, the Miners figured out how to beat the offside trap, the major defensive tactic of the Knights, and tallied three more goals by Horvat, Vanderlinder, and Gobble. The Knights managed to beat the Miners' defense and goalkeeper, Trey Becker, twice more, but the Miners held on for the 6-4 win, their first since September.

On the Sunday close of spring break, the Techies got back to work at Milne Field against the Hurricanes. The Miners dominated with ball possession throughout the game, but goals were hard to come by. Right-winger Paul Dailey fed several nice crosses into the penalty area, but no one could get a good foot or head on the ball, leaving the game scoreless at half time. The second half was even more lopsided in possession time for the Miners, at one point stringing together 22 consecutive passes. Just when it started to look like the scoring curse was setting in for the Miners, Leo hung a beautiful corner kick out in front of the goal and a leaping Mike Okoro headed it home. That was all the Miners needed for the win, and enjoyed their first shutout of the season.

The NMT Men's soccer team is hoping that the winning tradition is back to stay for the remainder of the spring season. The Miners struggled in the fall, losing and tieing games they felt they should have won. Perhaps this was due ro fatigue from extra play, including exhibition games against NMSU and U of A, or perhaps just plain bad luck. For the spring, the team has had to make some big adjustments. Four new players were added to the roster: forward Tyson Gobble (freshman), forward Collin Cochrin (Junior, transfer), defender Masa Hosokawa (grad), and defender Levi Chavez (junior), replacing non-returning students. Serious knee injuries to two starting defenders, Mike Petty and Thomas Wedehase, have forced coach Fuierer to adopt a new 4-3-3 configuration, trying several new players at the four defensive positions. In addition, he is going with a new starting goalkeeper, Trey Becker, who is gaining more an more confidence with each game.

The Miners' next game will be held on Sunday, March 23, at 1 pm at Milne Field. Check out the Miners' website, http://infohost.nmt.edu/~soccer/, or the Tech Calendar for the remainder of their ASL Division 1 spring schedule, as well as possible college exhibition games.