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Kipp Keller had no notes.

Certainly not after New Mexico United manager Dennis Sanchez highlighted the defender鈥檚 81st-minute goal in Saturday鈥檚 1-0 win over Charleston Battery.

A play Sanchez said went 鈥渏ust like we drew it up,鈥� after Keller sunk his shot in the bottom left corner.

鈥淒id you hear that?鈥� Keller shouted during Sanchez鈥檚 postgame interview with a grin. 鈥淛ust like we drew it up.鈥�

Oh, we heard. Saw it, too.

The part that wasn鈥檛 鈥渞ehearsed鈥�? 

Keller鈥檚 post-goal celebration 鈥� one that included a dive and slide along the grass before  proceeding to change smoothly into a Griddy dance.

鈥淚 mean, I hit a Griddy in college,鈥� said Keller, who played for the Saint Louis Billikens, 鈥渁nd everyone loved it. I鈥檓 a dancer. I鈥檓 kind of a goofy guy, so not much (goes into picking a celebration). Usually I black out if I score. I know I鈥檓 going to move my hips at some point. I just don鈥檛 know when.鈥�

And while United enjoyed the revelries, Keller鈥檚 score showed there might be something to the obvious point Sanchez made after Wednesday鈥檚 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay Rowdies. It helps to be 鈥渢he protagonist.鈥�

Saturday marked just the third time New Mexico has scored first. United did so in a 1-0 win at Orange County SC on April 4 and a 3-1 victory against Las Vegas Lights FC on May 9. Another could be considered 鈥� New Mexico鈥檚 3-2 win over Cruizers FC on March 18, but the club only got on the scoreboard first due to a Cruizers own goal. 

鈥淭he message on Friday, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to be aggressive,鈥欌�� defender Chris Gloster said. 鈥淎t home, it鈥檚 time for us to be aggressive and step up. That鈥檚 what we did from the first half, had them on their heels and had a couple chances.鈥�

Gloster wasn鈥檛 wrong.

United (4-4-1) had several opportunities in the first half 鈥� all from the 30th minute on.

New Mexico failed to capitalize on the ball movement from Niall Reid-Stephen to Ousman Jabang to Gloster in the 30th minute when Gloster鈥檚 shot from inside the penalty box was deflected. United missed again when that deflection found Harris, who had his own attempt knocked away inside the penalty box two minutes later.

Then there were the prime scoring chances Harris and Greg Hurst had in the 38th and 44th minutes, respectively. 

Harris pushed his shot wide left on an well-timed, in-step through pass from Hurst after Battery keeper Luis Zamudio came out to challenge. Hurst was denied on a save by the right leg of Charleston defender Joey Akpunonu when Zamudio gave himself up attempting another challenge. 

Hurst, however, threw off his own timing by one too many dribbles. The forward had an attempt lined up before Zamudio came out of net and danced with the ball before his actual shot.

United鈥檚 other chances came in the first minute of the three-minute stoppage time. Jabang鈥檚 pass was a little too long for a running Reid-Stephen in the first 30 seconds, allowing Zamudio to collect the pass inside the goal area. Keller鈥檚 attempt in the 46th minute sailed just high.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we ultimately want to do,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淣ow, if we finish another couple of opportunities in the first half, I think it鈥檚 a completely different game. This is where we can continue to evolve.鈥�

That, however, can wait for next week鈥檚 training session. 

Saturday was for enjoying a win. Scoring first, too. Oh, and a Keller dance move or two.

鈥淚 think it was a complete win,鈥� Keller said. 鈥淏oth sides of the ball, everyone fighting for each other, diving, sliding 鈥� it takes everyone.鈥�

David Glovach covers New Mexico United and other sports for the Journal. Reach him at dglovach@abqjournal.com or via X .