UTEP Falls to Liberty 2-1in final home game of the season
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The UTEP soccer program (2-11-3, 1-4-2 CUSA) fell 2-1 against Liberty (13-1-1, 4-1-1 CUSA) Sunday afternoon. Emerson Kidd scored a highlight-reel goal and Angelina Amparano recorded four saves in the loss.
"It's important that we are at home and that we show out to an extent and play really well in the second half," Head Coach Gibbs Keeton said. "It's a function of what it's been all season with some self-inflicted adversity costing us. It tells you a lot about our team that they are capable of playing well against a top team in the conference."
To start the match, the Miner defense successfully fended off two corners for the Lady Flames in the third and fourth minutes of play, as well as drawing them offside in the eighth. The visitors found the opener in the 13th minute off a solo effort from Allison Hansford.
Three minutes later in the 16th, UTEP had its first chance of the game on a corner kick. Liberty had another corner in the 26th minute but was unable to connect. In the 27th minute Claire Valentine hit a shot to the low right corner, but Amparano was able to snag the save. In the 34th Avenley Monteith's try went off target. A minute later Mina Rodriguez drew a foul that set up a dangerous free kick for the Miners, but they did not find the net. Liberty was called offside once again in the 43rd minute, and the score held going into the halftime break.
Ivy Garner got things going for Liberty in the first five minutes of the second half, but her shot went wide. After that, UTEP found its groove. Rodriguez forced a save from Lady Flames keeper Ainsley Leja in the 58th minute. In the 61st, a Liberty foul left the Miners in good free kick position, but Vanessa Cabello's header off the kick missed the target. Amparano then smothered an effort from Valentine in the 68th.
A handball by the visiting side left Kidd standing over a free kick in the 78th minute. The whistle blew and she sent a rocket of a shot into the back of the net for her third goal of the season.
The Lady Flames didn't let the tie last for long, as in the 81st minute Garner pounced on a rebound off a Haleigh Arostegui shot to put her team back ahead. Amparano would make one more save in the 85th minute, but Liberty was able to hold out for the win.
UTEP will have two weeks of preparation before its final regular season match at Sam Houston on October 28.
