April 15, 2023 – United Soccer League Championship (USL) – San Diego Loyal News Release
San Diego Loyal SC on game night
(San Diego Loyal)
ALBUQUERQUE – San Diego Loyal SC extended its unbeaten streak with a 1-1 draw on the road against New Mexico United Saturday night at Isotopes Park.
Evan Conway scored for the visitors to salvage a point against the Western Conference rival after New Mexico took an early 1-0 lead with a goal from Sam Hamilton. Conway’s goal gives SD Loyal (3W-1L-2D, 11 points) another point in the standings for the third-straight league match. Head Coach Nate Miller’s team earned its second-consecutive draw on the road in its 2023 USL Championship campaign.
Conway tied the match in stoppage time, moments before the halftime whistle. Conway got his head on a pin-point volley into the penalty area by team captain Charlie Adams. Conway charged in behind the defense and out jumped his defender to connect and send the ball past New Mexico United goalkeeper Alex Tambakis for his team-leading third league goal of the season.
New Mexico (1W-2L-1D, 4 points) took the 1-0 lead with Hamilton’s score after SD Loyal goalkeeper Koke Vegas made a series of saves on point-blank shots from inside the penalty area. Hamilton put back a shot via a header in the ninth minute that was blocked by Vegas in the dirt area of what is the infield of the baseball diamond at Isotopes Park.
New Mexico continued to try and create scoring chances from the left side in the first half, including one that had Vegas sliding to stop an Amando Moreno threat in the 32nd minute. SD Loyal tried to answer with its own counter attacks late in the first half. Ronaldo Damus broke free on the right side into the penalty area and sent a cross into the six-yard box but there was no one there to reach the ball in the 40th minute.
New Mexico United came out looking to break the tie early in the second half with threatening shots by Santi Moar that were blocked by the SD Loyal defense. Both teams had a handful of substitutions in the second half, trying to find a solution but neither team could break through with a game-winner.
SD Loyal will now return to San Diego for a busy week that includes two league matches at home (Tampa Bay Rowdies, April 23; El Paso Locomotive FC, April 29) and a midweek trip to face Seattle Sounders FC in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round on April 26.
Tickets to both upcoming home matches from Torero Stadium are available now at sdloyal.com/tickets.
GOAL…