GAME PREVIEW: NM Runners in Wichita to Take on Wings

by Andres Trujillo

Wichita, KS (January 11, 2020) – The 3rd place New Mexico Runners (4-2) head to the Midwest to take on the 2nd place Wichita Wings (4-0) in Kansas on Sunday January 12, 2019. The Runners and Wings will kick off at 5 PM Mountain Time at Hartman Arena located in Park City, KS.

The Runners come off an exciting home win against the Colorado Rumble where New Mexico dominated by a record setting 15-4 at the Santa Ana Star Center.

Last week’s highlights resulted in placing New Mexico’s Forward Jaime Rodriguez in the league leaderboard in three categories including points (24), goals (15), and assists (9). Midfielder Luis Fernando Martinez sits right behind “Chiva” in the points (17) and goals (13) categories.

This matchup between the Wings and New Mexico will be the first time these two teams meet in history. The Wichita Wings are celebrating their 40th anniversary and is one of the oldest names in arena and indoor soccer. Wichita has been on a seven year hiatus and have returned under the leadership of Managing Partner Blake Shumaker.

Sunday’s contest will be one of high intensity soccer that will sure to be a “barn burner” with plenty of shots and goals.

On The Line: This match will be crucial for the 2nd place spot in the league. Even though the Runners are 4-2 in league play, a victory would give them an edge for second as they pass the halfway point in the season. New Mexico will have played one more game than Wichita where the Wings will have to face the 5-0 Chihuahua Savage the following Saturday. This could mean the wings drop to a record of 4-2 and give New Mexico a 5-2 record to push them into second.

Ruffle Some Feathers: Because this is the first time these two teams will meet, the pace of play will be a bit more controlled initially feeling each other out. There is one Wichita athlete the Runners have seen before and that is Defender Alex Moseley. Moseley played for the Colorado Inferno last season, but made his return to his hometown of Wichita. The Runners must lead the pace of play with discipline to ensure control and pressure against the Wings.

Tip Top Form: New Mexico will showcase their top line with Rodriguez, Martinez, Gandarilla, Garcia, Ramirez and Gasson in the mix. They will have a strong showing with their supplement of Gordon, Pacheco, Matute, Oropesa, White, Oord and Avila. These top lines will showcase a fast pace of play which we saw against the Rumble back at home. Look out for quick sets and a lot of assists.

New Mexico Runners versus Wichita Wings Sunday January 12th, 2019 at Hartman Arena in Park City, KS with a 5 PM MT kick off. Fans can watch the online stream by clicking on the Wichita Wings YouTube Channel.

The New Mexico Runners are New Mexico’s professional arena soccer team based in Rio Rancho, NM and current members of Major Arena Soccer League 2 (MASL2). The Runners play their home games at Santa Ana Star Center and season 2 season tickets are on sale NOW by calling 505.663.7RUN (7786). For more information on the Runners, visit http://www.newmexicorunners.com as well as LIKE, FOLLOW and SHARE on social media at @nmrunners.
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