UTEP Soccer Concedes Late Goal, Falls to Liberty, 1-0
LYNCHBURG, Virginia (KVIA) -- The UTEP soccer team (3-6-3, 0-3-1 CUSA) fell to Liberty (10-1-2, 2-1 CUSA) 1-0 Thursday evening following an 88th minute goal from the hosts.
The Lady Flames outshot the Miners 19-6, but it took a long-range effort from Ivy Garner in the final minutes to claim the victory.
Tionna Taylor made nine saves in her first start of the season, and the UTEP defense held tough against the high-octane Liberty offense. Five Miners tallied shots in the game, led by Mina Rodriguez with two.
“We had two major changes in our lineup tonight, and our goalkeeping and team defending were exceptional,” Head Coach Gibbs Keeton said. “Liberty found a way and it was an outstanding goal from a top player in a high-powered attacking team. Consistency is key, and we need to continue to strive for more in a variety of areas.”
The first half was a battle of the defenses, as both teams failed to breakthrough offensively. Taylor made five saves in net for the Miners, including an acrobatic save against Avery Paulson in the 15th minute.
Eve Barry and Mina Rodriguez tallied one shot apiece for UTEP in the first period. Barry missed the target to the right in the 13th minute, and Rodriguez forced a save from Lady Flames keeper Peyton Huber in the 25th.
The Orange and Blue looked to be in on goal late in the half when Ana Quintero took on a couple of Liberty defenders, but Nicole Morales just missed the pass, and the Lady Flames were able to recover.
The second half continued in a similar fashion to the first, and neither team seemed able to gain an advantage. The Lady Flames broke the tie with just minutes to go in the game.
The Miners offense put pressure on the Liberty defense throughout the second half, including winning two close-range free kicks down the stretch, but could not find the back of the net.
In the dying seconds of the match UTEP found itself with the ball at the top of the Liberty 18-yard box, but it bounced between players and ultimately went out of bounds, giving the hosts the win.
UTEP continues its East-Coast road trip Sunday (10/6) when they face FIU in Miami. Kickoff is slated for 11 a.m. MT/ 1 p.m. ET.
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