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Some old friends reunited once more

Skyhawks ready for a big exhibition challenge against Fishebein’s Lobos
Fishbein

The man who started it all is set to welcome the Fort Lewis College men’s soccer team to Albuquerque.

Jeremy Fishbein, the first head coach in the history of the FLC men’s soccer program and current head coach of the University of New Mexico Lobos, will get a close look at the 2014 Skyhawks when the Lobos host FLC for an exhibition Monday afternoon in Albuquerque.

“We play Fort Lewis a lot, and it is always a great game,” Fishbein said in a phone interview with The Durango Herald. “It’s always a great game, and Fort Lewis is an excellent team and always a challenge. I’m excited to play them.”

FLC head coach Oige Kennedy credited Fishbein for building a foundation for FLC men’s soccer, and he always looks forward to squaring off against the Lobos.

“Jeremy was a huge part of helping get FLC soccer going. He took that first group and helped with the ’99 team getting to the finals,” Kennedy said. “He started the tradition, and when you look at what he’s done in Albuquerque, he really is on top of the coaching game.

“Every year his team is consistently competing at the national level, and we try to emulate him.”

Fishbein spent seven seasons coaching FLC. During that time the Skyhawks went 74-47-7 and won four league titles with two coming in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and the other two in the Colorado Athletic Conference. He also helped the team reach the NCAA Division II playoffs twice. He eventually was replaced by Jeremy Gunn after leaving for the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio. In 2002, Fishbein took the head coaching job at UNM.

“Fort Lewis is where I started out. It was kind of my introduction to coaching, and it built the foundation of my career,” Fishbein said. “That’s where I kind of fell in love with this part of the country.”

Fishbein has earned five coach of the year awards in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, two Far West Region Coach of the Year awardsand the 2004 Soccer America National Coach of the Year honor.

Under Fishbein’s guidance, the Lobos finished as the national runner-up in 2005 after losing the NCAA championship game 1-0 against Maryland. UNM has reached the Sweet 16 in each of the last three seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2013, where the Lobos fell 2-0 to Notre Dame. Notre Dame went on to win the national championship 2-1 against Maryland.

In 12 seasons at UNM, Fishbein has led the Lobos to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven regular season conference championships, two conference tournament championships and two Final Four appearances. He has the UNM men’s soccer record for most wins with a 168-54-28 record, giving him a 263-114-38 overall record as a head coach.

UNM enters the season ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll.

“It’s early in the preseason, but our expectations are always high,” Fishbein said. “We try not to get ahead of ourselves and just worry about getting better every day. Right now, it is about establishing the team. We are excited to get started.”

Kennedy said the Skyhawks treat the game as a true exhibition and won’t get overly excited about a chance to play the No. 5 ranked Division I squad.

“It is a very difficult game for us. The Division I start date is earlier, so UNM has been back working for a while now,” Kennedy said. “This is the first thing we do. Our preseason starts Monday with this exhibition. Realistically, we are looking for player fitness and whatnot more than a result. It’s a tester for our guys early on to see the level we want to get to.”

FLC won’t take the field again until Aug. 30 in its annual alumni game. The Skyhawks open the season Sept. 5 at home against Midwestern State.

Kennedy expects big things again this year out of the Lobos, and he is ready to size his squad up against one of the best teams in the country.

Fishbein said the same of the Skyhawks, a team he considers one of the best in Division II.

“Oige has done an incredible job; two national championships up there speaks volumes about him as a coach and the program,” Fishbein said of Kennedy and the Skyhawks. “I think they have a tremendous team this year.”

jlivingston@durangoherald.com



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