Aug. 31, 2007
Box Score
Box Score
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The UTEP women's soccer team kicked off the 2007 campaign in fine fashion, trouncing Sam Houston State 6-1 at Pritchett Field Friday evening. The game was tied, 1-1, at the half before the Miners erupted for five goals in the second period to coast to victory.
Jo Radcliffe and Tameka Sumter each scored twice to lead the offensive onslaught, while senior netminder Jessica Salvi made five saves.
UTEP registered 25 shots on goal while limiting the Bearkats to only six tries on net. The Miners took eight corner kicks compared to one for SHSU.
"I was really impressed with the team's effort and the ability to come back after being down 1-0," head coach Kevin Cross said. "A lot of people played well tonight, and we responded well to adversity."
It was an inauspicious start to the contest for UTEP, with Sam Houston State scoring just two minutes into the game. Debbie Campbell beat Salvi on a shot, but the Miners did not panic. Rather, UTEP went on the offensive and found the equalizer at the 18th minute courtesy of Sumter.
Sumter's goal seemed to relax the Miners, as they kept the pressure on for the remainder of the period. The Orange and Blue forced play deep into the Bearkat zone several times, but SHSU netminder Jenny Pence made several saves to keep the match tied.
At halftime, the UTEP coaching staff preached to the team to keep shooting and to remain patient. That approach paid off just five minutes into the second half, with Sumter blistering a shot past Pence to afford the Miners a lead they would never relinquish.
UTEP was just getting started, though. Eleven minutes later, senior Jami Tullius put away a pass from Sumter to give the Miners a 3-1 edge.
Never a squad to rest on its laurels, UTEP kept the pedal to the metal. Cara Nordin, who missed the entire 2006 campaign due to an injury, showed no signs of rust as she made a nifty pass to Cortney Casey. The junior knew what to do with it, and she drilled a shot into the back of the net to make it 4-1 in favor of the Orange and Blue.
Radcliffe, a junior-college All-American at Paradise Valley Community College, single-handily ensured there would be no comeback by SHSU by scoring twice in a span of 40 seconds late in the game.
UTEP will be back in action against regional-rival North Texas at 12 p.m. on Sunday.
UTEP at Sam Houston State Post-Match Notes
The Miners improve to 9-3 all time in season-opening matches, including 6-1 under head coach Kevin Cross. UTEP has dominated in campaign-christening contests, out-pacing the opposition to the tune of 43-15.
UTEP now leads the series against Sam Houston State, 5-0, and it has outpaced the Bearkats, 28-1, in those contests.
The six goals are the most in a game by the Miners since UTEP tallied 11 against Grambling State on Aug. 31, 2006, and tie as the 10th- highest sum in program annals.
The six goals check in as the third-highest total by the Miners in a road contest in school history.
Jo Radcliffe, a junior-college transfer from Paradise Valley Community College, scored two goals in a span of 40 seconds in her first game with the Miners.
Sophomore Tameka Sumter scored two goals, marking her fourth multiple-goal game of her career. That effort places her tied for sixth all time in program history.
Jami Tullius' goal at the 61st minute was the 35th of her career, adding to her school-record total.
