I know everyone's been waiting for the result of the UNM-Cal showdown so without further ado:

UNM won 1-0 in sudden-death overtime. It was a pretty even match, with UNM getting perhaps a few more good chances.

The most interesting angle of the match isn't mentioned in the article, however. If someone was watching on TV, they probably noticed that the teams seemed to be playing on dirt. Our athletic department preferred to call the surface "short Bermuda grass," but I think that's just a fancy name for dead grass/dirt. The team has been playing on this surface all season, and they wanted to keep playing on this field, instead of in the football stadium (which actually has living grass). After watching them play, I know why they like this surface - they're faster and quicker than most teams, and they can take advantage of their speed if the ball is skidding across the field and not being slowed down by grass. There's an analogy with the St. Louis Rams and artificial turf.

Alas, there's no more homefield advantage. The final four is in North Carolina, which will probably have real grass. But we'll win anyway. Go Lobos!