UTEP soccer clipped by Abilene Christian in season opener, 1-0

EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP soccer team controlled the action throughout most of the match, but a goal from ACU’s Amelia Leggett (16’) spoiled the evening in a 1-0 setback in the season opener for both squads in front of more than 500 fans at University Field Thursday evening.

By and large the Miners (0-1) outplayed the Wildcats (1-0), holding advantages in total shots (14-9), corner kicks (6-1) and shots on goal (6-5).

UTEP also played a clean contest with only eight fouls compared to 13 from the visitors. Freshman GK Savanah Finley recorded four saves in her collegiate debut, including a brilliant denial in a one vs. one situation in the middle portion of the box midway through the first half.

At the other end of the pitch, sophomore forward Ana Quintero did everything but find the back of the net. She recorded match highs in both shots (five) and shots on goal (three), with her best chance coming in the 57th minute.

A thru ball sent her in alone on ACU GK Bella Medrano, who she easily deked past. Quintero then sent the ball in toward the empty net, but to the chagrin of the Miner faithful Wildcat defender Gracie Kelly came out of nowhere to slide and clear it off the line for the team save.

ACU netminders Emma Konsmo (three) and Medrano (two) combined for five stops while Kelly’s actions accounted for the team save in the potential game-tying strike.

“Statistically we did dominate the game, and on the field, we dominated as well,” UTEP head coach Gibbs Keeton said. “We missed some uncharacteristic chances that are really high xG (expected goals), and we usually score those. Sometimes, that’s the way it goes. We have to push hard to create more chances and create our own fortune. One mistake really hurt us tonight, and that was uncharacteristic for our back line as well. We’ve got to get ready for Sunday. We need to hold our head up high and have belief that we’re capable of winning, especially at home.”

UTEP set the tone in the opening minute of action, securing a corner kick 20 seconds into play. The ball was sent toward the freshman Zeta McDannels, who unleashed a shot that was off the mark. ACU then worked it up the pitch where it ran into a stout Miner defense. Leggett’s shot was blocked, and the rebound try from Emma Nylund was well off target.

The home side quickly regained possession and pressured, but respective tries from Maya Vitoria (2’) and Quintero (3’) couldn’t find the frame. Anai Lopez tested Konsmo in the eighth minute, who was up to the task.  

Three minutes later, Hayden McMillan hammered a header on a cross from Ashlee Mora that whistled just wide. Quintero then put her defender on skates to create some space, but Konsmo kept things scoreless with a stop. UTEP continued to possess, earning a corner. It resulted in a shot from Olivia Roskos, but she couldn’t put it where she wanted to.

An unfortunate mishap led to a ball skipping through the UTEP defense in the 16th minute, with Leggett suddenly all alone on Finley. The freshman did her best, but Leggett snuck it past her to let the visitors snag the 1-0 edge.

UTEP went in search of the equalizer, but a promising feed from McMillan to Quintero went up in smoke on an offside call. 

Finley robbed the Wildcats of a 2-0 advantage by flying off her line to cut off the angle and smother a point-blank shot from Shakira Kafero-Roberts in the 27th minute.

Mora did a good job to get one on frame after a cross set her up on the left wing. She took a step to compose herself and drilled it to the lower right corner that forced a save by Konsmo in the 32nd minute.

Eve Barry then tried to sneak a cross across the area but the ACU netminder sniffed it out before the Miners could pounce on it. UTEP then pushed it back up ahead where the ball pinballed around before being corralled by Konsmo

Finley was called upon late in the stanza, cleanly catching a shot with pace from Peyton Hill.

Finley controlled her area well in the initial stages of the second half, twice coming off the line to snag services into the 18-yard box. The Miner defense then cleared away a volley into danger.

UTEP had a good opportunity wiped away from an offside call in the 54th minute.

Quintero was robbed in the 57th minute after she was fed a ball into space. She deked past the netminder and appeared poised to tie the tilt. She shot the ball toward the empty net, but at the last second Kelly went sliding in to clear the ball off the line for the team save.

UTEP did earn a corner kick out of the situation, but it could not capitalize. Quintero kept attacking, forcing a stop by Medrano with 25 minutes to play.

The Miners had another opportunity in the 78th minute after a blatant hand ball set up a free kick. Mina Rodriguez deftly sent it on target, but after an initial bobble from Medrano she collected it.

In the 88th minute, Quintero once again worked herself free only to have the shot go just wide in what proved to be UTEP’s final try.

The Miners will be back in action when they play host to Texas Southern on “Camper Reunion” night at 6 p.m. MT Sunday. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available through Stat Broadcast. 

“Camper Reunion Night” is a way to recognize the more than 700 campers who attended a multitude of the Miner soccer camps during the summer.

Tickets, both single game ($10) and season ($35), may be purchased by calling (915) 747-UTEP, emailing tickets@utep.edu, visiting www.UTEPMiners.com/Tickets or going in person at 201 Glory Road (Brumbelow Building, UTEP Campus), Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gates at University Field open one hour prior to kickoff, where fans may also purchase tickets on site.