Editor’s note: This recap is not the most recent game for UTEP women’s soccer.
On Sept. 26, UTEP women’s soccer hosted their C-USA home opener against Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (3-6, 0-1 CUSA). The Miners were previously 3-3-3, drawing against Kennesaw State with a score of 1-1 the week before.
While the Miners saw a record high of 24 shots against Middle Tennessee, they still fell 2-0 against the Blue Raiders. UTEP women’s soccer Head Coach Gibbs Keeton said improvements had been made since the last season, however, there is still work to be done.
“Each game is a comparison to last year, and it’s clear we’ve moved on. The only thing we are missing is finding the back of the net,” Keeton said. “In situations like these, goals change the game and unfortunately, regardless of how many shots we took, we were unable to impact the game in a way that we know we can.”
Middle Tennessee took the lead against the Miners in the 30th minute, when junior forward Idun Kvaale made a shot above senior goalkeeper Angelina Amparano’s head.
In the 55th minute, junior midfielder Manon Lebargy scored with a closed-ranged shot, bringing the score 2-0.
With 10 minutes left of the game, the Miners could not make a comeback ultimately giving them the loss to Middle Tennessee.
Several Miners shined during the game such as Amparano with two saves in net. Junior forward Mina Rodriguez had the most shots of the night with five shots including one on goal, while freshman forward Ana Quintero tailed behind with four shots.
The Miners’ next home game will be against LA Tech (2-7-5, C-USA 0-4-2) this Saturday at University Field. The Miners now stand 3-7-3, last in the C-USA conference.
Sofia Sierra is the sports editor and may be reached at [email protected].
