UTEP’s Two Goals Not Enough in Loss to Texas A&M-Commerce
COMMERCE, Texas (KVIA) -- The UTEP soccer team lost a five-goal thriller 3-2 to Texas A&M-Commerce Sunday afternoon. Taya Lopez (23’) and Sheyliene Patolo (59’) scored for the Miners, but the Lions came back for the win.
The contest started fast and never slowed down. In the eighth minute, Maia Rodriguez had the first shot of the match, but it sailed wide to the right. The UTEP defense then held strong from a barrage of shots from the Lions over the next 10 minutes before a beautiful solo effort from Lopez in the 23rd minute gave the Miners the advantage. Patolo, Justice Tillotson, and Emerson Kidd would all try shots of their own without finding the net. The Orange and Blue held the lead going into the break.
The second half saw a flurry of goals scored. The home side pulled even early in the period behind a goal from Kristen Sueltz, but the tie was short lived. Just four minutes later Patolo netted her first goal of the season in the 59th minute. She pounced on a rebound off Lions’ keeper Gillian McKenzie’s save from Nicole Morales’s initial shot to put the Miners back ahead.
Things didn’t calm down from there as A&M-Commerce went on to score two unanswered goals (Mindy Shoffit, 68’, Sueltz, 83’) to complete the second-half comeback. Ashlyn Neireiter, Vanessa Cabello, Morales, and Kidd recorded shots in the second half.
The Miners had 12 shots on the game and forced two saves from McKenzie.
UTEP returns home Thursday (Sept. 14) to host Idaho in the final non-conference matchup of the season before opening Conference USA play on the road at FIU next Sunday (Sept. 17).
Season tickets for 2023 remain on sale now for just $35 per seat. Individual game tickets can be purchased for $8 per seat. Fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit UTEPMiners.com/Tickets for more information.
