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On cusp of scoring record, Hurst finds it 'hard to sum up' what playing for NM United has meant

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Greg Hurst had initially played coy.

The New Mexico United forward knew he was close to Chris Wehan’s club record of 38 goals. It was just the matter of how closely he had been paying attention. Certainly as the scores began to tick by.

“(Communications manager) Carlos (Tenorio) can answer that,” the forward said with a laugh after last Saturday’s 3-1 win over Monterey Bay FC. “But, no, it’s one of those things that you definitely keep an eye on. Especially for a forward.”

His actions — or reactions, really — after his 56th-minute goal, the one that tied Wehan’s mark, revealed plenty.

There was Hurst, popping up once the ball touched the back of the net. There was Hurst, pounding his chest and letting out while doing so. There was Hurst, running over to the right corner and punctuating it with a jump and fist pump.

His teammates knew, too.

One by one, they came over to congratulate him with a hung or personalized handshake or a little dance. And then, midfielder Ousman Jabang gave Hurst a playful shove forward to make sure the fans got their own moment to celebrate with him.

“It’s hard to sum up, honestly,” the 29-year-old Hurst said Thursday. “It’s more than I could ever have imagined to still be here four years later (after joining the club ahead of the 2023 season) and playing for the club is definitely an honor for me. The way that the fans and the people of the city, and the state have taken me in and made me feel welcome here is something that I don’t have the words to express how grateful I am for it.”

It’s what would make the next one all the more special.

And it could come as early as Saturday at San Antonio FC (9-7-12), an opponent Hurst almost scored an equalizer against Aug. 29.

A win, however, would make that possibility even better.

United (14-7-7) could move to the top of the Western Conference depending on what also happens between El Paso Locomotive FC, the club at the top of the table by one point, against Sacramento Republic FC. New Mexico and El Paso meet in the regular-season finale on Oct. 24.

Hurst might even have Wehan tuning in.

The two communicated not long after the win over Monterey Bay. One offered his congratulations and some words of encouragement. The other graciously accepted and provided some thanks in return.

“I was just saying that it was a pleasure to be in that kind of company,” Hurst said. “Obviously, I played with Chris. I thought he was a fantastic player. So to have a record similar to his is a positive for me. But we were just chatting and he wanted me to break it. (He and I) got on really well.

“I didn’t want to take it away from him, but I kind of had to do my job. So we were kind of joking about that. To have similar stats as the guy when I first got here and looked up to is pretty special.”

Perhaps that had always been the plan when New Mexico acquired the Scotsman after his first year in the USL Championship, one that featured seven goals with Phoenix Rising FC in 2022. To provide a pairing with Wehan, who had to effectively retire after the 2023 season due to a knee injury, and as a possible statistical replacement for Amando Moreno, who was on an expiring contract.

Of Hurst’s 82 senior-career goals, 69 have come in the USL — in either League One or the Championship. Two of his three double-digit scoring seasons have come over the last three years.

After five goals in his first season with United, Hurst followed with 13 in 2024, eight last year and has 12 so far this season. Two more would not only add to the club record, but would tie his own career-best of 14 he set in 2021 with League One side Union Omaha. One of those came in the title victory that season over Greenville Triumph.

Not a bad sidenote. More importantly, Hurst has come through in key moments.

New Mexico is 6-1-3 this year in matches in which Hurst has scored. Four of those goals have been go-aheads. Three have been equalizers.

“There’s no doubt Greg gives us something different on the field,” manager Dennis Sanchez said. “I think that a lot of his qualities don’t show up in the score sheet, which is helping us in the build up, giving us an extra player, essentially a final pass that leads to a goal or a scoring opportunity.

“... But the biggest growth that I’ve seen with Greg this year has been more off the field. I think the way that he’s taken this group under his wing, the way he’s leading authentically, just being himself, I think that leadership can come in a lot of different ways, and I think his messaging, the way that he responds in big moments is something that I always feel grateful to have.”

But?

“Don’t let that get to your head,” Sanchez joked while giving Hurst a playful shove.

So far, it hasn’t.

If anything, the feeling has been mutual. Not that it has been hard to see why.

“You know, I wish I had maybe found that role earlier in my career,” Hurst said. “I’m not like your traditional (No.) 9 (a striker), who’s going to post up and try and stay out of the build up, and just look to score goals. I have to thank Dennis and the staff for giving me the trust and responsibility to kind of see the game that way.”

It’s helped Hurst close in on a record. The only thing left to determine — other than the when — will be how he’ll celebrate it.

“I kind of blackout when I celebrate,” Hurst said. “It’s just whatever happens, happens.”

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