EL PASO, Texas- The UTEP soccer team (9-6-3, 4-4-1 C-USA) will look to secure a bid to the 2019 Conference USA Championships when it plays host to UTSA (8-7-1, 4-5-0) on "Senior Night" at 7 p.m. MT Friday. All tickets are $3 as part of "Fan Appreciation Night," and may be purchased by calling (915) 747-5234.
"We need you El Paso for our last home match," UTEP head coach
Kathryn Balogun said. "Not only will we celebrate our seniors but it will be a game to determine our season's fate. UTSA will bring quality competition, making it a fun game to be a part of."
Looking In The Rearview Mirror
UTEP went 1-1 on a roadswing through the Eastern Time Zone, including a 2-0 dispatching of Old Dominion on Oct. 27.
Jojo Ngongo and
Tessa Carlin each recorded a goal and an assist in the win, while
Emily Parrott registered one save late in the first half on the way to posting her sixth shutout of the season.
Series History Vs. UTSA
UTEP is undefeated (6-0-2) in eight prior match-ups with UTSA, including most recently battling to a scoreless draw in San Antonio last year.
Quick Overview On UTSA
UTSA enters the match-up with UTEP at 8-7-1, 4-5-0 C-USA, putting it one point behind the Miners. The Roadrunners posted a 2-1 win at Charlotte on Oct. 27, ending the seven-match winning streak for the 49ers in the process. Ellis Patterson paces the team in goals (six), assists (six) and points (18). Lexi Bolton (four) and Deja Sandoval (four) have also been consistent scorers. Sophie Milich and Jill Schneider have split the time in net, combining for 54 saves and five shutouts.
Win To Get In
UTEP enters Friday's match-up in a three-way tie for sixth place in the C-USA standings. While there are a lot of possibilities, the simplest way to look at it from the Miners' perspective is that a win gets them into the 2019 C-USA Championships. The top-eight showing would be UTEP's first since 2016. That year as a seventh seed the Orange and Blue sprung the upset on second-seeded Rice to advance to the C-USA semifinals.
Bouncing Back In 2019
UTEP heads into its regular-season finale with a mark of 9-6-3, 4-4-1 C-USA. The effort has allowed the Miners to surpass their win total for both overall and C-USA contests from a year ago (7-8-4, 2-5-3). UTEP has a chance at its first double-digit win total since 2016, which was also the last time it qualified for the C-USA Championships. It can accomplish both with a victory against UTSA on Friday.
Got It Done On The Road
UTEP picked up a crucial 2-0 win at ODU on Oct. 27, which allowed the Miners to conclude this year with a road record of 4-3-2. It marks the first winning road record at the school since 2016 (5-4-2).
Continued Success In Nonconference Play
UTEP has posted a winning mark in nonconference play in 17 of the past 18 years, including finishing 5-2-2 in 2019. The exception during the nearly two-decade run of success came in 2017 (4-5-0).
Freshmen Power
UTEP has 11 true freshmen on the roster in 2019, its highest total since carrying 14 in 2000. The newcomers comprise nearly half of the squad (11 of 24). Nine of them have earned playing time, including six who have secured at least one starting nod.
Youth Served In Goal
For the first time since 2008, UTEP is relying exclusively on a freshman goalkeeper. Newcomers
Zoey Lopez(Montwood HS) and
Emily Parrott (Lone Star HS) have both seen action. Parrott has started 15 of 16 matches, making 51 saves and recording six shutouts. Lopez had a quartet of saves before getting injured in the match against Abilene Christian (8/25/19).
Parrott Climbing UTEP Freshmen Charts
Freshman GK
Emily Parrott is ascending the Miner record books for freshmen. Her nine wins rates fifth while her 51 saves ranks eighth for UTEP freshmen keepers. The GAA of 1.27 would check in eighth.
The Basic Facts
UTEP is in its 24th season as a program, boasting an all-time record of 263-181-37. The Miners (9-6-3) are under the direction of first-year head coach
Kathryn Balogun. She is assisted by
Stewart Givens and
Kate Ward and volunteer assistant coach
Michael Balogun.
UTEP Soccer on Social Media
For complete coverage of UTEP soccer, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at
@UTEPSoccer (Twitter),
@UTEPMinersSoccer (Instagram) and
on Facebook or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at
UTEPMiners.com.
