The UTEP Miners soccer team sent their seniors off in winning fashion on senior night. The Miners defeated Florida Atlantic University 2-1 Friday night in game dominated by the Miners on University field.
Ironically enough it was the freshmen that lifted the Miners past FAU on Friday. With 15 minutes left in the first half it was freshman midfielder Kennaide Chaunhary scored her first career goal, and opened up the scoreboard for the Miners.
“It feels amazing to go through and do it for those four seniors, I mean they are everything to us, they have shown us everything we know so far. Coming in and not knowing so much they have just shown us the ropes it just feels so good to be able to do that for them.” Chaunhary said.
Shortly there after the Miners scored their second goal coming off freshman Forward Margaret Hadley. Hadley scored the second goal of her career to secure a 2-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Miners kept true to their game plan through out the course of the game as they kept a shut out for the majority of the game. It was not until there was less than 15 minutes on the clock when FAU scored their first and only goal of the night.
Though she conceded one goal off a deflection from a UTEP defender, senior Goal Keeper Sarah Dilling went out as a senior with high confidence heading into the closing stage of the season.
“We just have to keep fighting working hard, playing for each other, being strong doing what we are doing, getting the finishes, keep playing like we’ve been playing.” Dilling said.
The Miners found themselves tied in an eight team tie for second place in conference play coming into this game and continue to control their own destiny for hopes of a post season tournament. Coach Kevin Cross spoke confidently about his team heading into the last two games of the season.
“Its so competitive, points are huge specially here at home they are huge. Friday night is always a good atmosphere to play in every game is huge from here on out we needed to play well in these game, our last one is on the road, but this was a great way to start our last home stand.” Coach Cross said.
The game took on an emotional tone not only being senior night it became a night for the team to rally around their sophomore midfielder Nicole Lindsay, as it was a year ago yesterday that she lost her mother. The team fought and played hard and embraced her before the game, as it was very important night for her. The team looked united like a family before the game.
“My team is such a support system for me, it is somewhere I can go, mostly everyone knows what happened and was there for me so. I wasn’t here last year at this time, I wasn’t here for senior night or Halloween being here is a little bit difficult but at this time my team is there for me and they have been very supportive, my coaches have been very supportive. It’s a tough time but I think playing through it is the easiest part for me, just kinda playing soccer takes my mind off a little bit and just keep going.”
Juan Carlos Navarrete can be reached at [email protected].
