One-on-one with UTEP’s Gibbs Keeton; Miners host Middle Tennessee in CUSA home opener

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP soccer team (3-3-3, 0-0-1 CUSA) welcomes Middle Tennessee (3-6, 0-1 CUSA) to the Borderland Thursday for its Conference USA home opener. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. MT.

GAME COVERAGE

Thursday vs Middle Tennessee – Live Stats or Watch Here

#ICYMI

UTEP is 3-3-3 on the season and 0-0-1 in conference play after drawing 1-1 at Kennesaw State on Sept. 19.

The Owls got on the board first in the 20th minute, but Ana Quintero leveled the score just before the halftime whistle. The Miners outshot KSU 21-5, including 7-1 in shots on goal. They also earned eight corner kicks to the Owls’ two. Twelve Miners recorded shots in the game, led by Sydney Williams with three. Quintero paced UTEP with two shots on goal.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE ROOK

Ana Quintero scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season against KSU. She also leads the Miners in points (eight), shots (14), and shots on goal (seven).

HEY ALEXA, PLAY SHOTS BY LMFAO

UTEP’s 21 shots against the Owls mark the first time that the Orange and Blue have tallied 20 or more shots in a contest since 2019, when the team did so three times.

A POINT SAVED IS A POINT EARNED

The Miners earned a point in their first conference away match at KSU, which is the first time that UTEP has picked up at least a point in its first conference road match of the season since 2019, when the team defeated Marshall 3-2 on 9/26/19.

HOME SWEET HOME

UTEP is 9-7-3 in CUSA home openers, and 13-11-4 all time in conference home openers.

FOOT ON THE GAS

UTEP has outshot its opponents 47-23 over the last three matches. The effort has allowed the Miners to hold an advantage in total shots over opponents in six of the past seven games.

YOU SHALL NOT PASS!

Angelina Amparano has recorded three solo shutouts in 2024, making it five career shutouts with UTEP. She is now tied for ninth in the all-time record book for goalkeeper solo shutouts (tied with Katie Gilmore, who played for the Miners from 2000-03).

LOOK AT ALLLLLL THOSE CORNERS

After being outnumbered 12-3 in corner kicks through the first two games, the Miners have outpaced opponents in every contest since. UTEP has a 38-13 advantage in corner kicks over that span.

IN THE RANKS

UTEP leads or ranks second in CUSA and is among the top 100 nationally in three categories. The Miners sit 42nd in goals against average (0.667), 53rd in save percentage (.833), and 92nd in shutout percentage (.444). Individually Angelina Amparano sits 62nd in goals-against average (.706), 76th in save percentage (.824) and 78th in shutouts (three) while Mina Rodriguez ranks 88th in assists per game (0.43).

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

UTEP’s six goals against is the fewest through the first nine games of a season since 2016 when the Miners gave up four goals in nine contests.

A SPOT IN THE RECORD BOOK

The Orange and Blue’s six goals allowed ties for the second fewest yielded through nine games in program history. UTEP accomplished the same feat in 2006, 2011, and 2013.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Ana Quintero and Mina Rodriguez have been pacing the team on offense this season and are the first two Miners to reach double-digit shot attempts (14 and 11, respectively) on the year. Quintero also leads the team in shots on goal (seven) while Rodriguez is tied for second with Sheyliene Patolo and Taya Lopez (four).

FIRING SQUAD

Nineteen different UTEP players have registered a shot through the first eight games of the season, with 17 tallying at least two shots and 13 Miners registering five or more.

SCOUTING REPORT: MIDDLE TENNESSEE

The Blue Raiders are 3-6 on the year, 0-1 in conference. Most recently, they fell to FIU 4-2 in their CUSA opener. Manon Lebargy paces the team with six goals, followed by Emma Pettersen, Risui Arasaki, and Idun Kvaale, who each have three. Lauren Spaanstra has tallied five assists to lead the team while Sadie Sterbenz (four) and Pettersen (three) rank second and third. Demi Gronauer has started all nine games in net for the Blue Raiders, making 42 saves and allowing 24 goals in 113 shots faced.

Middle Tennessee is ranked in the top 100 nationally in multiple categories, including assists per game (2.11, 46th), points per game (7.0, 34th), scoring offense (2.44, 30th), shot accuracy (.517, 43rd), shots on goal per game (6.89, 84th), total assists (19, 53rd), total goals (22, 39th), and total points (63, 45th). Individually, Lebargy is ranked in four categories, goals per game (.75, 24th), points per game (1.63, 42nd), total goals (6, 41st), and total points (13, 72nd). Spaanstra sits 27th in assists per game (.56) and 22nd in total assists (five) while Sterbenz ranks 70th (.44) and 58th (four) in those same categories. Gronauer is also ranked in two categories, saves per game (4.67, 79th), and total saves (42, 67th)

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BLUE RAIDERS

UTEP is 3-5-1 all time against Middle Tennessee. The last matchup between the two squads came in the 2023 season and ended in a 1-1 tie in Murfreesboro on 10/12/23.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Miners are back at University Field Sunday (9/29) when they welcome WKU to the Sun City. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. MT

TICKETS
For tickets, fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit UTEPMiners.com/Tickets for more information.