LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State women's soccer team kicked off the 2015 campaign with a 2-0 exhibition win over Pima Community College on Wednesday at the NM State Soccer Athletic Complex.
 
The Aggies held the Aztecs to three shots on goal while home team marked its two goals on 13 shots on goal.  NM State got a goal in the first half by freshman Dominique Rivera and another in the second half by sophomore Holly Abdelkader.
 
Las Cruces native and Mayfield High School graduate Rian Nials, meanwhile, minded the net for the Aggies the entire match and saved all three shots she faced.
 
"I was very happy to play Pima because they're a very good team, they were hard working and very physical," Aggie head coach Freddy Delgado said. "I think they're very similar to some of the teams that we're going to play this year.  So it was a good preview to see how our players performed."
 
Rivera quickly opened the scoring after a goal in the sixth minute of the match.  Junior Gabby Campbell assisted on the play after seemingly being trapped in a corner but finding a way to get the ball to Rivera who hit a hard shot from around 10 yards out that went right through the Pima goaltender's five hole. 
 
NM State outshot the Aztecs 13-1 in the first half as the hosts already had eight shots on goal in the first frame to Pima's zero.  Although the Aggies would only muster five shots on goal in the second half, one would find the back of the net as Abdelkader, a Preseason All-WAC honoree, would score unassisted from the right side of the box in the 58^th minute.
 
"Everybody on the roster got an opportunity to play and show their stuff in a game setting, so I thought that was important," Delgado said. "We showed that we're very deep in certain positions, we were very attacking oriented, so overall it was a very good performance."
 
The Aggies now prepare for the season and home opener on Sunday versus Eastern Washington, which begins at 1 p.m. at the Soccer Athletic Complex.