UTEP soccer hosts LA Tech to open C-USA action Sunday
EL PASO, Texas - After being off for a week, the UTEP soccer team will make its return to the pitch when it hosts LA Tech to open Conference USA play on Sunday, Feb. 28.
The Miners (1-2-1) and Lady Techsters (6-2-0) are set to kick off at 11 a.m. at University Field and will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
Assistant coach Stewart Givens will serve as interim head coach as UTEP head coach Kathryn Balogun will be on maternity leave.
Givens will be at the helm on Sunday to direct the Miners.
“We are looking forward to kicking off conference play this weekend at home,” Givens said. “We have had a long break in between games that has given us the ability to really focus on a few key areas that we think will help us in C-USA play. The players are ready for Sunday against LA Tech, who we know will be a tough opponent to break down and dangerous going forward.”
UTEP had a pair of matches canceled (at Angelo State, at Lubbock Christian) last week due to weather conditions.
The Miners are coming off a scoreless double overtime draw against Utah Valley on Feb. 13 at University Field. Emily Parrott was a save machine after the sophomore tallied nine of them.
Wolverines recorded 21 shots with 11 of them on goal, while the Miners registered three shots with two on goal.
Tessa Carlin is tied with Jojo Ngongo with three points, while Jackie Soto, Ayana Noel and Kam Fisher have each tallied two points.
Carlin, Ngongo, Soto and Noel have each scored a goal, while Fisher leads the squad with a pair of assists.
Carlin, Ngongo and Miller have each tallied an assist.
LA Tech, after splitting its first four matches, have won four consecutive matches.
The Lady Techsters are 6-1 on the road, most recently defeating Spring Hill 6-1 on Feb. 16.
LA Tech has scored 16 goals (2.0 goals per game) and has allowed six.
The Techsters are averaging 17.1 shots per game.
LA Tech’s 40 total points ranks second in C-USA and 31st nationally.
LA Tech’s Sophie Fijneman leads her squad with six points (2 goals, 2 assists), while Klesha Darroux (2 goals, assist) and Maci Geltmeier (2 goals, assist) have each tallied five points.
Alma Cedefors, Morgan Miller and Amber Posthauer have scored two goals each. Goalkeepers Maggie Boston (3-0) and Katie Cook (3-0) are undefeated minding the net, while Cook has not allowed a goal.
Boston has recorded 11 saves, while allowing a pair of goals.
Following Sunday’s match, the Miners will take the road to Hattiesburg to take on Southern Miss on March 6 at 12 p.m. MT.
