Oct. 21, 2007
Box Score
The UTEP soccer team (9-6-1, 3-2 C-USA) dropped a hard-fought match at Southern Miss (6-8-0, 3-3 C-USA), 2-1, Sunday afternoon. Jami Tullius added to her school record total with her 41st career goal to afford the Miners a 1-0 lead at the break, but second-half tallies from Jana Mason and Erin Bunyard helped USM creep past UTEP.
The Miners out-shot the Lady Eagles 21-15 and had seven corner kicks, but were unable to convert on key opportunities. Jessica Salvi made three saves in net for UTEP, while senior captain Kristin Wernimont recorded her first assist on the year with a good pass to set up Tullius' goal.
Off the opening kick off, the Lady Eagles played the ball deep into UTEP territory. A crossing attempt was blocked out of bounds, setting up a corner kick for USM less than one minute into the game. Megan Kolts lobbed a ball into the box which was headed on net by Samantha Polley. Salvi was perfectly positioned to make the save, keeping the Miners from facing an early deficit.
The good scoring chance for USM seemed to wake up UTEP, which dominated the next several minutes of action. The Miners had their first opportunity of the tilt at the four-minute mark, when a rocket by Tameka Sumter sailed high.
Anoop Josan and Chelsea Winbush each had shots blocked three minutes later, but UTEP remained determined. Tullius was denied by Anna Fiser at the 12-minute mark, and Lauren Hamson's try to bury the rebound whistled wide.
UTEP's ability to keep play primarily in the Lady Eagles' portion of the pitch paid dividends with 17 minutes remaining in the first half. Wernimont made a nifty pass to Tullius, who beat the defender and drilled it past Fiser to put the Miners up 1-0.
The tally was the senior's seventh of the campaign, and it marked her third consecutive contest with a goal.
Two minutes after Tullius' marker, Josan nearly made it a 2-0 contest but she was turned away by Fiser. USM responded to the flurry with an offensive push of its own. Mason laced a shot but again Salvi was ready to make the save.
In the final five minutes of the period, Tullius had two more scoring chances. She drilled a shot and sent a header on net, only to have both blasts be off target.
UTEP opened the second half much like it had closed the initial period. Josan vied to extend the Miners' advantage, but the shot was high. Two minutes later it was Winbush applying the pressure. The defender's strike was well wide of the net, keeping USM within striking distance.
The Lady Eagles took advantage of UTEP's unlucky sequence, securing the match-tying-goal at the 55-minute mark. Off a corner kick, Mason elevated above the pack and hammered a header past Salvi.
The Miners did not rattle despite allowing the tally. Rather, they stuck to the game plan and went about their business of trying to retake lead. From a corner kick, Jo Radcliffe sent a well-struck header screaming in on net. Unfortunately for the Orange and Blue, the ball rocketed just wide, keeping the score at 1-1.
Eight minutes later, it was Cortney Casey attempting to break the tie. The junior's shot sailed wide, however. Three minutes following that offensive chance, Tullius misfired on a shot.
At the 74-minute mark, Angie Kleinfelder nearly vaulted UTEP into the lead. The senior was denied on a great-scoring chance, with Fiser tipping the shot wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Josan's shot was blocked.
The Lady Eagles took the rebound and raced down the pitch. Bianca Ontiveros played a pass to Bunyard, who fired on net. The ball glanced off the post and into the back of the net, affording USM a lead it would not relinquish.
Armed with the 2-1 edge, the Lady Eagles were content to sag defensively. With little room to operate, the Miners managed only one shot down the stretch. That opportunity came on an attempt by Tullius with four minutes to play, but the El Paso native's attempt was snatched out of the air by Fiser.
UTEP will be back in action on "Senior Night" against Marshall on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.
