RENO, Nev. -- In its final weekend of non-conference play, the Nevada Wolf Pack recorded a 1-0-1 record at the UNM Classic hosted by the University of New Mexico. The Pack recorded a 3-0 victory over Northern Arizona on Friday and tied tournament host New Mexico on Sunday, 0-0 in double overtime. The Pack's results this weekend gave the team its best non-conference finish in school history, 7-2-2 and also kept Nevada unbeaten on the road and neutral site games with a 5-0-2 mark. The Wolf Pack opens Western Athletic Conference play on Friday when the team travels to Fresno, Calif. to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Pacific. The Pack is 1-4-1 in WAC openers with Nevada's one conference opener win coming against the Bulldogs last season in Reno.
This Week:
Nevada (7-2-2, 0-0-0 WAC) at Fresno State (6-4-1, 0-0-0 WAC)
Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. Pacific
Fresno, Calif.
Bulldog Stadium
All-Time vs. the Fresno State Bulldogs:
Fresno State leads the all-time series between the two schools 5-1 but Nevada won the most recent meeting between the teams last season in Reno. Prior to last season's game, Fresno outscored Nevada 17-3 and recorded three shutout victories over Nevada. In 2005, the Wolf Pack scored four unanswered goals and beat the visiting Bulldogs 4-2 for Nevada's first-ever victory over Fresno State. Down 2-0, Naomi Hernandez sparked a Wolf Pack comeback when she scored just before halftime to cut the Bulldog's lead to 2-1. Three Nevada second-half goals by Jessica Wilcox, Hernandez and Miranda Montejo gave the Pack the 4-2 victory.
Scouting the Fresno State Bulldogs:
Fresno spent part of its 2006 non-conference schedule in the national rankings after knocking off #18 Florida on the road and #18 BYU in Utah. The Dogs were ranked as high as 22nd by Soccer America but after three straight losses to Pacific, UC Riverside and Cal Poly, Fresno dropped out of the national rankings. Fresno State is 6-4-1 on the season and is 4-2 at Bulldog Stadium. The Dogs have faced three nationally ranked opponents this season, beating #18 Florida and #18 BYU and falling to #14 Utah. Fresno has also picked up wins versus Sacramento State, Portland State, Cal State Northridge and San Francisco. Fresno has outscored its opponents 10-6. Cortney Sobrero leads the Dogs in goals (3), points (7) and shots (28). Allison Sill has five points coming on one goal and three assists. Goalie Angie Larsen has played every minute in Fresno's 11 matches this season and has a goals against average of 0.53. She has allowed six goals and made 66 saves. Larsen continues to lead the WAC in shutouts with seven. Fresno is coached by Steve Springthorpe who is in his third year with the Bulldogs.
Last Week's Results at the UNM Classic vs Northern Arizona and New Mexico:
The Pack recorded a 1-0-1 record over the weekend against Northern Arizona and New Mexico and did not allow a goal over the weekend. Kristin Anderson scored the game-winning goal against Northern Arizona on Friday afternoon as the Pack posted a 3-0 win in its opening match of the UNM Classic. The goal was Anderson's first of the season. Karen Zmirak added two goals, one off a direct free kick and the other off an assist from Jessica Wilcox, as Nevada improved to 7-2-1. Anderson finished the game with four shots, three of which were on goal, including a shot in the 89th minute that ricocheted off the crossbar. Jen Mavis recorded her second shutout in as many matches and ended the game with two saves. Nevada outshot NAU 17-12 including a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. In Sunday's 0-0 double overtime tie against New Mexico, the Pack overcame a slow start to create several good scoring chances in the second half and overtime periods. Samantha Miller's shot from a breakaway with just under two minutes remaining in the second half was nearly finished by Karen Zmirak but the UNM defense regained possession. Nevada recorded 11 corner kicks, many of which created dangerous scoring chances for the Pack including Devin Noe's header off a corner kick in the second overtime that was cleared off the line. Nevada had a good chance to score the game-winner with just 24 seconds left in the second overtime when Jessica Wilcox headed a free kick on frame that forced Shannon Adragna to make a save. Mavis recorded her third shutout this season and recorded six saves.
News and Notes:
Nevada has a 7-1 record when they score first...The Wolf Pack's 0-0 double overtime tie, is just the second time this season that Nevada has been shutout...The other was the Pack's 1-0 loss versus UC Davis...Both of the Pack's losses this season have been by one goal....A season-high 406 fans turned out to watch Nevada's home match against Wyoming....Wyoming snapped the Pack's 11 match home unbeaten steak, the longest home unbeaten streak in program history...Randee Robinson's assist on Kenishia Warren's goal against Wyoming, was Robinson's first career assist...Nevada continues to outscore its opponents holding a 14-6 advantage...Four players have started every game for Nevada this season (Devin Noe, Aivi Luik, Randee Robinson and Jessica Wilcox)...Nevada is the WAC team with the fewest losses (two) heading into conference play as each other WAC team has at least four losses...As a team Nevada is tied with Fresno State for first in the WAC with fewest goals allowed (six)...The Pack is second in the WAC in shutouts with six and first in the conference in corner kicks with 66...Karen Zmirak is tied for first in total points with 15 and is first in both points per game with 1.36 and goals with seven...Devin Noe, Jessica Thompson, Samantha Miller and Aivi Luik are tied for fifth with assists (two)...Zmirak is tied for second in game-winning goals with two...Jen Mavis leads the WAC with the lowest goals against average (0.35) and Caitlin Holmes is third with a 0.68 GGA.
WAC Athlete of the Week:
Nevada has had four players named WAC Athlete of the Week. On Oct. 2 junior Jessica Wilcox was named WAC Defensive Player of the Week after helping Nevada record two shutouts against Northern Arizona and New Mexico. She anchored a defense that did not allow a goal last week. Wilcox also recorded an assist, her first of the season, in the victory over NAU. Senior Lauren Kinneman was named offensive player of the week for Sept. 25 after scoring the game-winning goal and recording the assist on the Pack's other goal as Nevada beat Pac-10 opponent Oregon 2-1 on the road. Kinneman's goal against Oregon was her first goal of the season and the seventh of her career. Sophomore Randee Robinson was awarded the honor for the week of Sept. 5 after she helped anchor a Nevada defense that recorded two shutouts over Wisconsin-Green Bay and Northern Iowa. The Wolf Pack defense allowed only nine shots in the two victories including two halves where Nevada held its opponents shotless. Freshman goalie, Caitlin Holmes, was named WAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 11 after she made 11 saves in two matches as Nevada recorded a road victory at Washington State and a tie at Eastern Washington. The Wolf Pack defense allowed just two goals over the weekend as Holmes posted a goals against average of 0.90 in the two victories.
Home Away From Home:
Through its first 11 games of the season, seven of which have been on the road, Nevada remains undefeated with a 4-0-2 road record and a 1-0-0 neutral site record. The Pack has beaten two Pac-10 schools on the road in Washington State, who Nevada beat 2-1 and Oregon, where the Pack also recorded a 2-1 victory. Prior to this season the Pack's best record on the road came in 2005when the team went 1-4-1. The 2006 road season for Nevada also marks the first time in program history the Pack went undefeated in a road series (Nevada beat Oregon and Portland State) while the Wolf Pack has also recorded two unbeaten road series against Washington State and Eastern Washington and the Pack's most recent road trip to New Mexico where the team beat NAU and recorded a tie against New Mexico.
Program Firsts:
For the first time in program history, Nevada stood alone atop the WAC with its 4-0-1 record for the week of Sept. 11 and the Pack continues to lead the WAC for two weeks in a row, Sept. 25 and Oct. 2...Nevada finished the non-conference season with its best record in program history (7-2-2) and also ended the non-conference season undefeated on the road and in neutral site matches with a 5-0-2 record...The Pack's win and tie against Washington State and Eastern Washington gave the squad its first unbeaten road series in program history...Nevada's two road wins over Oregon and Portland State marks the first time in program history the Pack went undefeated in a road series...Nevada is undefeated on the road for the first time in program history with a 4-0-1 record as the team has recorded wins at Sacramento State, Washington State, Oregon, Portland State and tied Eastern Washington...Nevada's 4-0 record through its first four games (Sacramento State, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Northern Iowa and Washington State) marks the longest winning streak in program history, while the Pack's 4-0-1 record marks the longest unbeaten streak in program history...Nevada's Randee Robinson is the first player in program history to be named WAC Player of the week more than once...Jen Mavis recorded her first career shutout in her third career start at Portland State.
Upcoming Schedule:
Nevada returns to Mackay Stadium on Oct. 13 and 15 to host Boise State and Idaho. The Pack will take on Boise State on Friday at 7 p.m. and will face Idaho on Sunday at noon.
