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Albuquerque, N.M. - The University of New Mexico men’s soccer team extended their season opening win streak to seven games tonight with a 4-1 victory over the Georgia State Panthers in the second game of the Lobo Invitational. UNM (7-0-0) got two goals from freshman Ben Ashwill, the third leading scorer in the NCAA, and one each from sophomore Danny Bills and freshman Sam Suflita. Georgia State’s lone score came off a penalty in the 74th minute by Stephen Adams.

UNM came out in the first half pressuring the Panthers by keeping control of the ball for much of the period and not allowing a single shot-on-goal. In the 20th minute, freshman Lance Watson cut through the middle of the Panther defense and fed Ashwill for his seventh goal of the season. It was Watson’s third assist on the season.

In the second half, UNM continued its pressure and drew a penalty kick attempt in the 47th minute. Bills stepped up and convert his second penalty kick in as many games, for his second score of the season. The 1,312 fans in attendance didn’t have long to relax as Watson and Ashwill were back at it just ten minutes later. Watson beat his man down the right side and fired a perfect cross to Ashwill for his eighth goal of the of 2002 and a 3-0 lead.

New Mexico then turned up its defense to try get their third shutout of the season, but committed a foul in the box in the 74th minute. Adams fired a shot to the upper left hand corner of the goal, just out of reach of Lobo goalie Andrew Weber. It was just the fifth goal Weber has allowed this season.

Lobo head coach Jeremy Fishbein then started using some of his reserves, and quickly realized that they can score too. In the 80th minute, freshman Jonathan Weaver collected a cross and tapped it back to Suflita who found the back of the net from 15 yards out. It was the second goal of the season for Suflita and the first assist for Weaver.

Action continues in the Lobo Invitational on Sunday when Georgia State (2-4-0) takes on Air Force (3-3-1) at 10:30 a.m. (M.D.T.) in the neutral game. Air Force defeated Southwest Missouri State, 2-1, earlier in the evening. The Lobos will face SMS in the final game of the Lobo Invitational on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. (M.D.T.) at the UNM Soccer Complex.

|Score by Period|1st|2nd|OT|OT|Total| |Georgia St.|0|1|||1| |New Mexico|1|3|||4|

Scoring Summary: UNM - 19:22 Ben Ashwill (7), Assist Lance Watson (3) UNM- 46:52 Danny Bills (2), Penalty Kick UNM- 57:44 Ben Ashwill (8), Assist Lance Watson (4) GSU- 73:57 Stephen Adams, Penalty Kick UNM- 79:20 Sam Suflita (2), Assist Jonathan Weaver (1)

Statistical Summary |Statistic|UNM|GSU| |Overall Shots|16|5| |Shots on Goal|9|1| |Corner Kicks|8|2| |Fouls|19|13|

Lobos Men's Soccer

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