LAS CRUCES,N.M. – The NM State women's soccer team split its home-opening weekend at the Soccer Athletic Complex with a 4-1 loss to Wyoming on Sunday afternoon.
 
"When we are able to keep possession of the ball, pass the ball and just simple movement with the ball and everyone sharing the ball; that fires us up and gets us excited," head coach Freddy Delgado said. "I thought we did that in the first half. In the second half, we again lost our focus.  I think that to do with us being a little tired. We started a different line-up and we relied on some different we didn't rely on in the past. As a result we couldn't find that same tempo so I think that hurt us in the end."
 
Wyoming (3-2-1) didn't waste any time coming out of the gate, testing Ashley Martin with a shot just 45 second into the match.  The Cowgirls followed with four more shots in the next 10 minutes before Shaina Ashouri got one past Martin on a free kick at about 28 yards out. Ashouri caught the Aggie (1-5-0) defense off guard when she immediately took a shot over the NM State wall before the team could set up, giving Wyoming a 1-0 lead with 11:40 on the clock.
 
Audriana Chavez had an opportunity at the 19:13 mark when she headed Gabby Campbell's corner kick, but it was a little too hard and went over the crossbar. The Cowgirls countered and barraged Martin with a flurry of shots inside the box in the 23rd minute, but the Aggie defense was there to block them.
 
Down on the other end, Chavez fired in a ball from the right side across her body but Georgia Roundtree was there to swat the ball away for Wyoming. However, the ball found its way in front of Aileen Galicia who blasted it into the back of the cage for her second goal in as many days with 24:55 on the clock.
 
The Aggies had a scare in the 34th minute when Wyoming's Laurel Ramer was able to get past Martin on the attack for a shot. But, Sarina Stockton was able to race back to cover her keeper and clear the ball out.
 
The Cowgirls' persistency on offense paid off late in the first half and took a 2-1 lead over the Aggies heading into the break.
 
Both teams went back-and-forth to open the second half, but the Cowgirls continue their attack on the Aggie backline with three corner kicks in just a three minute span. The NM State backline finally gave way in the 72nd minute when Anne Hinman put Wyoming on top 3-1 off the previous shot from Ashouri.
 
With 78:54 on the clock, Campbell again found Chavez on the corner kick but header once again sailed over the crossbar. A minute later, Wyoming extended its lead to 4-1 on the counterattack.
 
Campbell took another corner kick opportunity for NM State with a couple minutes left to play, but the Aggies weren't able to convert as they moved to 1-5-0 on the year as the whistle sounded.
 
NM State goes back on the road this upcoming week with its first match at Weber State on Friday, Sept. 9 before flying up to Pocatello, Ida., for a battle against Idaho State on Sunday, Sept. 11.