It was UTEP’s game from start to finish, as the women’s soccer program hosted the University of Incarnate Word at University Field. In front of a crowd of more than 500 spectators the Miners scored once in the first half and three more times in the second on their way to the third win of the season.
UTEP midfielder Bri Thomas beat Incarnate Word’s goalkeeper, Karly Brightwell, to a ball off a corner kick in the 20th minute to make the game 1-0. In a first half that was a bit rugged, the Miners controlled every facet of the game but failed to put Brightwell under much duress.
While the defense was solid and capable of neutralizing the opposing attack, the Miner offense struggled in the last third of the field throughout the first 45 minutes, resulting in very few clear opportunities on goal.
The lack of creativity on the opponent’s half ended in the second half as the Miners scored three times and all off the run of play. After scoring their last six goals off of set pieces, Angela Cutaia, Nicole Lindsay, and Alexis Roberts each scored goals off the run of play.
Lindsay hammered the ball into the net for the third goal off a brilliant threw ball from Cutaia in the 63rd minute.
“I was trying to get forward a lot, kept making a lot of runs,” Lindsay said. “Ang found me, it was really good and I ended up finishing it.”
Cutaia, who got her second goal of the season and an assist, attributed the second half success to better ball movement.
“We continue to get better and work together,” said Cutaia. “We started moving the ball, playing to feet and moving around better.”
The Miners continue will finish off a stretch of 5 games in 9 days on Sunday when they host Houston Baptist.
Improving from game to game is the main goal when a season begins and shaking off the offensive reliance on set pieces for Coach Kevin Cross and his team was an important step tonight.
“We knew we would score off the run of play because we have a lot of good attackers,” said Cross. “It was a monkey the girls wanted to get off their back, I knew it would come.”
Luis Gonzalez may be reached at [email protected]
