Arizona
Arizona soccer finishes pre-conference slate with victory over New Mexico State
Most of Arizona’s wins have been blowouts, but the Wildcats finished their pre-conference slate the same way they started it—with a 1-0 victory. This time it was New Mexico State that was the victim.
The Wildcats finally took the field at home in Mulcahy Soccer Stadium after three road games. Thursday night’s contest was their only match this week. It was also their lone homestand in a seven-game stretch that has them return to the road for three conference games starting Thursday, Sept. 12.
Arizona took the lead in the 19th minute when senior Nyota Katembo knocked a shot into the air. It didn’t go into the net, but it found fellow senior Marley Chappel just in front of the net. Chappel put it in to score her first goal of the season and just the second in her career. She last scored during her freshman year against Texas Tech.
“Honestly, I was definitely more there for just reassurance purposes,” Chappel said. “I think (Katembo) did a lot of the hard work, but I think collectively, it was a good goal between the three forwards up top. I think we figured out some good movements, and I was there for her second ball, and it worked out. But that’s what happens in soccer.”
That work between the players—forwards, midfielders, and defenders—is leading to more success this season. Last year, Arizona had a total of four assists through its first seven matches. It has a whopping 13 this year. Chappel has accounted for two of them and Katembo had her first against the Aggies.
Working together has led to more scoring, in general. Chappel’s goal gave the Wildcats 16 this season. They had 12 through seven games last year.
“I think playing with everybody’s strength and knowing our teammate’s strength and weakness just helps us be better in the final third,” Katembo said. “Which balls are better for certain people, if you want it in the space or at your feet, I think we can recognize that way easier.”
The Wildcats did not have as much offensive success in the second half.
“I think our first half was strong, and I think our second half, they made some good adjustments,” Moros said. “It was tight to play through. They were jumping on all the through balls that we were trying to slip into kind of our intermediate line between their midfield and their back line, and they were picking those balls off. So we had an opportunity to adjust there where I think we can get better from that when we look at it on film, and I think we’re well prepared going into conference.”
Despite the diminished offensive success in the latter half, the Wildcats still outperformed their opponent. They had 13 shots to five for the Aggies. Six of Arizona’s shots were on goal while NMSU had three on goal.
UA also had more corner kicks than its opponent for the first time since Aug. 22 against NAU. The difference was just one (6 to 5), but it was positive for a team that has given up 37 corners this year while only taking 28.
The defense kept up its end of the bargain to keep a clean sheet after the offense put the team in front.
“We’re still young in the backline, but I think they’re doing a really good job just maintaining and just managing the game whenever we’re up 1-0,” Katembo said.
Two of those young defenders who helped maintain the lead were Zoe Mendiola and Kennedy Fletcher. Both were making their second straight starts. Unlike Mendiola, Fletcher didn’t play the entire game, but she was in there at crunch time.
“Kennedy’s confidence and ability to communicate, especially as a freshman, she’s not intimidated by anything,” Moros said. “She knows the game well, and she’s willing to share information. Very proactive. She plays center back, so she has those good organizational skills. She understands the backline shape really well, so she can help out and compact space at critical moments, force play in the right directions, so that even if the other team gets opportunities they are not as good opportunities as they could be. And she’s very confident on the ball, so she can play out of the back really well. Good in the air, just an all-around, really quality player. Has really good maturity for a very young player.”
Fletcher and Mendiola have broken through. They are not only getting playing time but starting now. Other freshmen are getting considerable time on the field even if they aren’t part of the starting 11. With only one game this week, Moros thinks it’s a good time for those who haven’t broken through to show what they can do as the team gets additional time for training.
“Oh, thank God, we have training,” Moros said. “Pretty much just last week, we’re like, well, we’ve got six training sessions this season that aren’t a match day minus one or a match day plus. So a match day minus one is a taper day. You’re getting ready for a game. Match day plus one, you’re recovering from the day before. Those aren’t real training days. And with the Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday, you don’t train. So this weekend is the first time we get to train, basically since preseason. So the team is looking forward to it. We’re looking forward to it. The players who haven’t cracked into the lineup, they’re dying for that opportunity, as well.”
Lead photo by Marison Bilagody / Arizona Athletics
Arizona
Hamilton vs. Chandler: Watch live Arizona high school football showdown Friday night (11/7/2025)
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The undefeated Hamilton Huskies (9-0, 3-0) travel to take on the red-hot Chandler Wolves (8-1, 3-0) in a pivotal 6A Fiesta League regular-season finale showdown on Friday night. With both teams sporting impressive resumes, this matchup is a can’t-miss battle for supremacy in one of Arizona’s top high school football rivalries.
The Huskies have been dominant all season, most recently cruising to a 63-0 victory over Cesar Chavez. Sophomore quarterback Jax Sculley tossed three touchdown passes, while fellow sophomore Jake Disanti added two more scoring strikes, and senior signal-caller Daniel Vaita also found the end zone through the air in the rout.
Chandler enters this clash riding a seven-game winning streak after last week’s 28-22 triumph over Pinnacle. Junior quarterback Will Mencl was the catalyst, throwing for 338 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for two scores. Sophomore running back David Douglas chipped in with a rushing touchdown of his own in the victory.
Opening kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT on Friday, November 7 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.
• WATCH: Hamilton vs. Chandler football is livestreaming on NFHS Network
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How to watch Hamilton vs. Chandler football livestream
What: Hamilton and Chandler vie for Fiesta top spot in regular-season finale
When: Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT on Friday, November 7
Where: Chandler High School | Chandler, Arizona
Watch live: Watch Hamilton vs. Chandler live on the NFHS Network
PHOENIX (AP/AZFamily) — The moon will look slightly bigger and brighter Wednesday during the closest supermoon of the year, which can be seen from Arizona!
The moon’s orbit around the Earth isn’t a perfect circle, so it gets nearer and farther as it swings around. A so-called supermoon happens when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. That makes the moon look up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA.
November’s supermoon is the second of three supermoons this year and also the closest: The moon will come within just under 222,000 miles of Earth.
Tides may be slightly higher during a supermoon because the moon is closer to Earth, said astronomer Lawrence Wasserman with Lowell Observatory. But the difference isn’t very noticeable.
No special equipment is needed to view the supermoon if clear skies permit. But the change in the moon’s size can be tough to discern with the naked eye.
“The difference is most obvious as a comparison between other images or observations,” said Shannon Schmoll, director of Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University, in an email.
Supermoons happen a few times a year. One in October made the moon look somewhat larger, and another in December will be the last of the year.
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