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Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Staff photo: Matthew Asher ENMU senior forward Ryan McManus dribbles past two Lubbock Christain defenders in the first half of Saturday’s match at Greyhound Stadium.McManus would assist on ENMU’s final goal of the game, helping the Hounds win 2-1.
SPORTS EDITOR
The Easter New Mexico men’s soccer team earned a much needed win Saturday afternoon, beating conference opponent Lubbock Christian 2-1 at home.
The Greyhounds (3-5-1, 2-4 Heartland) found the much needed win off two goals from first-time scorers Raith Houle and Mitchell Meisinger. Both players have been around the program, but neither had seen much time on the field until today.
Staff photo: Matthew Asher
ENMU senior forward Ryan McManus dribbles past two Lubbock Christain defenders in the first half of Saturday’s match at Greyhound Stadium.McManus would assist on ENMU’s final goal of the game, helping the Hounds win 2-1.
Houle said of his time on the field, “Its exciting, I’ve been waiting about a year and a half now and I am just excited to play with these guys. They’re my brothers you know? I was a little nervous, but got that out and went out and played.”
Houle’s goal in the 38th minute of play gave the Greyhounds the lead, but a red card to ENMU late in the game would see them playing down a man and that is when disaster struck, as a 79th minute goal by the Chaps (2-7-1, 1-4-1 HC) tied the score at one apiece.
A substitution later, Meisinger entered the game and quickly received a beautiful ball from Ryan McManus that put him 1-on-1 with LCU keeper Fernando Rios. A easy touch shot to the left corner of the goal gave ENMU its final lead of the day, 2-1.
“We’d been on a pretty bad streak recently and we needed a win today. I got my chance and just needed to finish to get this ‘W.’ Coach just told me to go in, he needed and goal and I just told him, ‘I got you,” said Meisinger.
The win should help right the ship for the Greyhounds, who are coming off four straight conference to open up their first year in the Heartland Conference. The Greyhounds pod or grouping, consists of University of Texas-Permian Basin, West Texas A&M and Saturday’s opponent, LCU.
Eastern has already fallen to UTPB at home (1-0) and will probably need to win out in their group to advance to the HC playoffs. Next up is a non-conference breather for Eastern, hosting Southern Nazarene on Monday at 1 p.m.
