GAME NOTES (PDF)

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — After three weekends at home, the Northern Arizona women's soccer team will travel to New Mexico to take on the Aggies and Lobos ahead of their conference opener. Head Coach Andre Luciano and the Lumberjacks are currently coming off a 2-1 win over Pacific pushing them to a 5-2 overall record.

"I think we are going to do what we've been doing," said Luciano. "We are entering the second phase of the season now; the first phase is the non-conference segment and establishing who we are as a team and the second phase is when we get into conference and are trying to qualify for the Top 6. We are going to focus on the details a little bit more and be ready for what I think is going to be a very competitive conference season, but first we head to New Mexico."

The Lumberjacks will first take on New Mexico State in Las Cruces before busing to Albuquerque to face the University of New Mexico. Northern Arizona had a short two-day week of practice in Flagstaff before traveling and will compete Friday, Sept. 15 and Sunday, Sept. 17.

 
The New Mexico State Aggies, currently 4-4-1 overall, are coming off a four-game losing streak and looking to get their fifth win of the season over the Lumberjacks. The Aggies have scored more than 15 goals this season with 120 shots taken in nine games.  Led by Head Coach Freddy Delgado in the Western Athletic Conference, the Aggies were ranked seventh of eight in the preseason poll after going 2-3-2 last season. The last time the Lumberjacks and Aggies faced each other was in Las Cruces in 2010 where they ended in a 2-2 tie after double overtime.

"We obviously are going to play in a different environment than at home with a 3 o'clock kickoff with a minimum 75-yard wide field and we have to prepare to defend a lot of space and be patient on the ball," Luciano said. "They're going to look to stretch the field and make us defend over the whole field versus a condensed area, but their a much improved New Mexico State side and they are dangerous with scoring goals and we have to be mindful of that."

The University of New Mexico Lobos are coming off a tough loss against the University of Washington where they went scoreless in regulation only to give up a goal four minutes into overtime for their third loss of the season. The Lobos are currently 3-3 overall and have yet to start Mountain West competition. Before taking on the Lumberjacks, New Mexico will host the University of Houston Friday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. The last time Northern Arizona competed in Albuquerque, they won 2-1. It's been eight years since these two teams matched up. The Lobos are led by Head Coach Heather Dyche who is currently in her third season with the team.

"New Mexico is a very good defensive team they've had some decent results this year already, they play very well at home in Albuquerque and we know each other pretty well," Luciano said. "It's going to be a battle of who comes out of Friday night less fatigued. I think for us it is good we are going down in elevation for both games, but we still have to be mindful it's a road trip and we are going to have to deal with some adversity. We always preach about welcoming adversity as a program."

After nine non-conference games, the Lumberjacks are starting Big Sky play on the road against reigning Big Sky Conference champions Eastern Washington and the University of Idaho. The 'Jacks will first face the Idaho Vandals Friday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. and then the Eastern Washington Eagles Sunday, Sept. 24 at noon.

The 'Jacks graduated a wealth of knowledge from the roster, including two All-Big Sky selections from 2016 in Lindsay Doyle and Missy Kettelkamp. But with seniors like top-scorer Adrian Nixt and forward Anna Goebel for the front line and Riley Porter a force to be reckoned with in the back line, the Lumberjacks bring back a number of veterans.

Nixt competed and started in all but one game last season picking up a season-high nine goals, five of which were game-winning goals. An All-Conference first team selection Nixt finished tied for third in game-winning goals in a season, tied for sixth in shots in a season and tied for eighth in points in a season. Goebel left her mark coming off the bench competing in all but one game. With only one goal in the regular season, Goebel came alive in the conference tournament scoring three goals, two of which were game-winners.

NAU's 34-women roster is comprised of 21 underclassmen including nine incoming freshmen. The Lumberjack squad is young, but they are a formidable bunch returning 15 letterwinners, three of which earned All-Conference nods. With 11 different goal-scorers last season, there is not any one star the blue and gold will rely on this year.