LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The NM State Aggies won their first Conference USA match of the season against Western Kentucky 2-1 on Thursday, Sept. 26. Loma McNeese scored the first goal of the night which etched her name in the Aggie record book as she is now the all-time leader in points with 63.
 
NM State forced the issue early on and was rewarded with a corner kick in the first minute of the match. Six minutes later, Janae Shaklee would be credited with the game's first shot attempt, however, her shot would sail over the crossbar.
 
Mya Gonzales nearly came up with the Aggies' first goal in the 25^th minute, however, WKU goalie Maddie Davis earned her first save of the night.
 
Later, Andrea Alvarenga would play a perfectly placed ball into the box where the Aggies' offensive leader, McNeese, would use her head to notch the first goal of the night. This goal also forever etched McNeese into the record books as she became the program's all-time leader in points with 63, passing Aggie great Aileen Galicia (2015-18).
 
"What she has done for this program has been super special and now it gets to live on in the record books," said Head Coach Rob Baarts. "I don't even think she has scratched the surface of what she can do."
 
"I wanted to dive in head first and change the program and I did that with an amazing group of girls," said McNeese.  "I wouldn't be anywhere close to where I'd be without my team behind me."
 
In total, the Aggies outshot the Hilltoppers 6-1 in the first half while also earning four corner kicks to WKU's zero.
 
Rob Baarts' squad came out of the half with the same energy it began the game with as Alvarenga played a dangerous ball into the box that nearly deflected off of a WKU defender and into the goal. After a few ricochets, the ball landed at the feet of Sydney Johnson who rocketed it home with her left foot – giving the Aggies a two-goal cushion with 41 minutes to play.
 
Johnson continued her attack on the net as she put a shot on goal less than 10 minutes later that the Hilltopper goalie went down to save. Finally, in the 59^th minute, WKU logged their first shot on goal as Anna Isger forced Valerie Guha fight through traffic to earn her first save of the game.
 
In the 62^nd minute of the game, WKU decided they needed a new set of fresh legs subbing in seven new players. This move played out for them as just eleven minutes later WKU's Rebecca Roth would score to shorten the Aggie lead to one goal.
 
WKU stayed in the fight for the remainder of the game recording two shots with one on goal. Both shots couldn't find the back of the net as the Aggies would go on to win their first Conference USA match of the 2024 season.
 
With the game all said and done the Aggies lead Western Kentucky in Shots (14-7), shots on goal (6-4) and corners (5-1). WKU had the advantage in saves with four while Guha managed to record three saves on the night bumping her season total to 38 and career total to 91.
 
NM State will stay in Las Cruces to host Middle Tennessee Sept. 29 at 1 p.m. MT. For complete coverage of NM State Women's Soccer, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@nmstatewsoc) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women's Soccer)


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