Wings Overpower Runners, Rematch Next Week

Wichita, KS—The New Mexico Runners were defeated Saturday night in Wichita by a score of 15-6. This was the second of four meetings between the two teams this season and the final at Park City Arena.

The story of the evening for the Runners was the emergence of midfielder Michael Wissman, who finished the match with a hat trick, scoring half of the team’s points in his season debut. Vince Aragon, Terry Zamora, and Austin Snider rounded out the scoring with a goal a piece.

Early on it was all Wichita, as the Wings scored four times in the opening quarter, with New Mexico only being able to connect on a lone Snider strike in the final minute. The second period would tighten up, with the Runners logging two goals to the Wing’s three, trailing by five at the intermission.

In the second half, the Runners’ offense stayed productive, with two of Wissman’s three goals coming in quarter three. However, Wichita’s offensive production did not falter, as the Wings would still tally seven points in half two. Aragon, who contributed on three of the Runners' six scoring plays, scored New Mexico’s final goal of the night early in the final 15 minutes of play, as the Runners were held scoreless throughout the rest of the game. 

Nine Wings players logged goals, with Caique Trivelato and Gabrielle Dias matching Wissman of the Runners with three points apiece. Wichita spread its Wings, as Trivelato, Dias, and Luis Dantas Rodrigues all tracked four goal contributions in the match, with 12 of the Wings’s 14 outfielders recording either a goal or an assist.

The Runners and Wings will meet again next Sunday afternoon at the Rio Rancho Events Center, as New Mexico plays their second of three fixtures in a row against Wichita. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:05 PM Mountain Time.