The season comes to an end for UTEP Soccer with Nil-Nil Draw at Sam Houston
HUNTSVILLE, Texas (KVIA) --The UTEP soccer program (2-11-4, 1-4-3 CUSA) tied 0-0 at Sam Houston (5-6-4, 3-3-2 CUSA) Saturday afternoon in the final match of the 2023 season.
The teams were tied in total shots (six), but the Bearkats edged the Miners in shots on target (four to three). Emerson Kidd led all Miners with two shots (one on goal). Angelina Amparano made four saves in the contest.
“It’s good to have something to play for in the final regular season game,” Head Coach Gibbs Keeton said. “Unfortunately, we just weren’t desperate enough in the first 45 to earn the three points that would have helped us get to the conference tournament.”
Amparano was tested early in the first half on a shot from Tiana Johnson, but she was able to smother it. The Miner defense then successfully defended three corner kicks between the eighth and 14th minute. In the 17th minute, Andrea Nugent forced another save from Amparano. The Orange and Blue heated up on offense from there.
Sheyliene Patolo tried a shot of her own in the 26th minute, but Sam Houston keeper Libby Harper managed to get her hands on it. In the 42nd minute, Leslie Gutierrez had her effort go high. Emerson Kidd had the last shot of the half for both sides in the 43rd, but it just missed wide.
In the second half Mina Rodriguez looked to put one in early for UTEP, but her shot went left of the target. Amparano made her third save of the afternoon in the 70th minute on a shot from Jasmine Dybala. Dybala had another chance in the 76th, but it sailed high.
In the 84th minute Johnson had another try but could not connect. Three minutes later in the 87th, Kidd had her second of the game, but Savannah Hall was able to snag the save for the home side. In the 88th Amparano tallied her final save of the match on a shot from Lennon Porter. Cayman Tamez had a last-second shot in the 90th minute, but Hall made the stop.
The Miners now look ahead and begin preparations for 2024.
“We have a long way to go as a program and learned a ton in our first Conference USA campaign. The gap between sixth and eighth is not big, but our objective is to be much better than sixth,” Keeton said.
