Greg Hurst penalty, another clean sheet lift New Mexico past postseason rival
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – New Mexico United finally got one back against FC Tulsa.
Greg Hurst converted an 83rd-minute penalty Saturday night to lift United to a 1-0 win before 9,467 fans at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, snapping a winless run against Tulsa that dated to August 2023.
The result also carried a little extra weight after Tulsa ended New Mexico’s 2025 season in the Western Conference Final.
“We kind of owe these boys one from last year,” Hurst said. “They’ve had our number this last year or so, and I think we had to take some adrenaline and some feelings from that game last year and put it into tonight.”
United’s defense once again made the difference.
The club recorded its eighth clean sheet of the season and has allowed just six goals since a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay on May 20. Since that defeat, New Mexico has gone 11 straight matches unbeaten in league and USL competition, including seven consecutive victories.
Head Coach Dennis Sanchez said the intensity reflected the growing stakes surrounding the club’s strong run.
“Every match is important, but it very much felt like a playoff game,” Sanchez said. “You could feel the emotion from both teams, both benches, and this is what we play for.”
Defender Ousman Jabang said United entered the night focused on writing a different ending against a familiar opponent.
“That was the message before the game,” Jabang said. “Once you step on the pitch, it’s a new, it’s a different story, and you get a chance to write a different chapter. And that’s what we did today.”
Hurst said the team’s recent form has been built on its ability to win in different ways.
“We’ve scraped games out, we’ve blown teams away, we’ve dug in, we’ve played some really good stuff,” Hurst said. “It’s just the variety in ways that we can win that makes such a good team.”
New Mexico now heads east to face Loudoun United FC. A victory would mark the club’s 100th league win in franchise history.
United then returns home for matches against Lexington SC and San Antonio FC as it tries to carry one of the strongest stretches of its season into the closing run.