Poblete comes up big in debut in Lobos' goal

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Aug 25, 2012

[UCLA-NEW MEXICO] Devon Sandoval scored two goals and set up fellow senior Blake Smith for the third goal, but the star of No. 7 New Mexico's 3-2 win at No. 8 UCLA on Friday night was redshirt sophomore Patrick Poblete making his first collegiate start in goal for the Lobos.

Poblete made a diving save on sophomore transfer Leo Stolz and stopped Evan Raynr a minute apart early in the game.

The Bruins finally scored on Ryan Hollingshead's goal in the 43rd minute and looked to add to their lead at the start of the second half when Poblete again stopped Raynr. The rebound came to Hollingshead, who was again denied by Poblete. Finally, a third rebound came to senior Fernando Monge, but his header hit the crossbar.

The Lobos evened the match on Sandoval's header in the 57th minute and went ahead three minutes later when Earl Edwards got caught out of the goal and Smith scored into an empty net.

The Bruins responded just a minute later with a header from Raynr off a Stolz free kick, but New Mexico  took the lead on Sandoval's second goal in the 75th minute.

With just seconds remaining, UCLA almost tied the match again but Poblete made another diving save to deny Monge on a header off Matt Wiet's throw-in.

"They scored two really good goals off him," said New Mexico coach Jeremy Fishbein, "and there wasn't much he could do about them. But he came up big, and he was great at the end. He was composed and had a great showing. I think our goalkeeper coach Savva Biller instills so much confidence in those guys and tonight was big for Pat."

Aug. 24 in Los Angeles
UCLA 2 New Mexico 3. Goals: Hollingshead (Williams) 44, Raynr (Stolz) 62; Sandoval (Rossi) 57, Smith (Sandoval) 60, Sandoval (Smith) 75.
UCLA -- Edwards, Wiet, Sofia, Matchett, Cummings, Howe, Monge, Stolz, Raynr, Hollingshead, Williams. Subs: McKenna, Chavez, Munoz, Cervantes.
New Mexico -- Poblete, Mora Delgado, Gibbons, Campbell, Venter, Robson, Kafari, Calderon, Rossi, Sandoval, Smith. Subs: Robledo, McKendry, Baldinger.
Att.: 1,105.