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West Texas hassles Hounds

Eastern New Mexico men’s soccer coach Carlos Elizondo knows his team can compete with the West Texas A&M Buffaloes on a good day.

Wednesday wasn’t that day.

The visting Buffs beat the Greyhounds 7-1 in a Southwest Soccer Conference match at the ENMU soccer pitch.

“We didn’t come out to play,” ENMU head coach Carlos Elizondo said. “We didn’t play with our heart today and I think it showed. It was obvious to everybody.”

“Coming into this game I had high hopes,” junior midfielder Hugo Gonzalez said. “I felt like we were really prepared.”

Ben Everson and Itamar Keinan each scored twice for the Buffaloes (6-1, 3-1 conference).

Keinan, a junior midfielder, headed in the first goal in the ninth minute on a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Jacob Fynboe Jensen. Everson, a freshmen midfielder, followed with a goal less than 10 minutes later to put West Texas up 2-0 at the half.

The Buffs scored the first four goals of the second half before sophomore midfielder Ryan McLanahan scored for the Hounds (3-6, 1-3 SSC) on a rebound off his penalty kick. The goal extended the Las Cruces sophomore’s single-season ENMU record to eight. He is just one goal behind teammate Jared Morris’ ENMU career goal record of 14.

West Texas outshot the Hounds 24-10.

Greyhound senior goal keeper Leif Craddock was ejected from the game early in the second half after a collision in the goal area. Craddock’s red card will keep him out of Friday afternoon’s game against Saint Mary’s.

Junior Michael James, who finished the game in the goal for the Hounds, is expected to play Friday.

“It’s (going to be) a hurdle for us,” Elizondo said. “M.J. stepped in the goal for Leif and didn’t do a terrible job out there. He stepped out and made some good saves and I believe that on Friday he’ll be a difference maker on the field because he has that mentality to be a difference maker.”