UTEP Soccer Heads to Miami for Rescheduled FIU Match Thursday

10/23/2024 2:28:00 PM

Season Statistics (PDF)

EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP soccer team (4-7-3, 1-4-1 CUSA) faces off against FIU (10-4, 5-1 CUSA) Thursday morning. It will be the team's second trip to Miami this season after the original matchup was rescheduled due to weather. Kickoff is slated for 9 a.m. MT/ 11 a.m. ET.

GAME COVERAGE
Thursday vs FIU – Live Stats or Watch Here

#ICYMI
The Miners put another notch in the W column Saturday evening, defeating LA Tech 2-1 at University Field. The two squads, who battled through a lightning delay and heavy rains during the game, were knotted 0-0 at the half. LA Tech took the lead early in the second half, but UTEP stayed tough and scored two unanswered goals to complete the comeback. Ana Quintero tallied her fifth goal of the season, stealing the ball from the Bulldog keeper and smashing it into the back of the net in the 66th minute. After a hard foul just outside the box in the 87th, Mina Rodriguez stepped up and buried the ensuing free kick to give the Miners the win. UTEP outshot LA Tech 19-9 in the game, including 6-3 in shots on goal. The team also earned 10 corner kicks to the Bulldogs' three. Tionna Taylor played the full 90 minutes in net for the Miners, making two saves.

SETTING THE TONE
Ana Quintero scored her team-high fifth goal of the year against LA Tech, making her the first Miner since 2019 (Tessa Carlin and Lauren Crenshaw) to have at least five goals in a season. She also leads the team in points (10), while sharing the lead in total shots (26) and sitting second in shots on goal (10).

PUTTING THE TEAM ON HER BACK
Mina Rodriguez's game winner against LA Tech marked her first goal of the season. It is also the fourth game winner of her career.

ANSWERING THE CALL
Tionna Taylor has delivered big time for the Miners since being called upon by head coach Gibbs Keeton. She has made 16 saves and allowed just four goals in five appearances. Against Liberty, she tallied eight stops, marking a season high by a Miner keeper.

IRON WOMEN
Ashlyn Neireiter and Daniele Tovar are the only two Miners to play over 1,000 minutes this season (1,248 and 1,017, respectively). Neireiter is also the only UTEP player to have started all 14 games.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
The victory over LA Tech was the Miners third home win of 2024, which marks the most wins at University Field for UTEP since the 2020 season. It was also the Miners' first conference win of the 2024 campaign

MINING FOR GOALS
It was the second game this season where the Miners have scored more than one goal, only behind the Orange and Blue's 3-0 rout over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

MINERS NEVER SAY DIE
The win was the first come-from-behind victory for UTEP since beating NM State 2-1 on 9/9/21 behind a 96th minute overtime goal by Jackie Soto.

DOUBLE DUBS
The Miners have doubled their win total from the 2023 season and have continued to improve multiple areas of their team performance as the campaign has gone on.

ZOOMING OUT
UTEP is putting up quality numbers across the board this season. The Miners have taken more shots (176-137), shots on goal (63-57), and corner kicks (53-47) than opponents this year. Furthermore, UTEP has allowed only 13 goals in 14 games played.

IN THE RANKS
The Miners rank 68th nationally in goals-against average (.929). Individually Angelina Amparano sits 75th in the same category (.905).

SHARING THE WEALTH
Twenty Miners have registered at least one shot this season. Seven players have reached double-digit tries, led by Ana Quintero and Mina Rodriguez with 26 apiece, while 15 have five or more.

SCOUTING REPORT: FIU
The Panthers are 10-4 overall and 5-1 in CUSA this season. As a team, it is averaging 2.4 goals and 15.9 shots per game. Noemi Paquin leads the way offensively with 13 goals. Nikole Solis (eight) Montelene Dymond (three), Catherine Rapp, and Arianna Sparrow (two apiece) round out the top five scorers for FIU. Camille Sahirul has posted a team-high six assists, followed by Solis with three. The bulk of goaltending duties have been assigned to Valery Restrepo, who has started all 14 games, made 28 saves and allowed 11 goals.

In the NCAA, FIU ranks in the top 100 in multiple categories, including goal differential (+21, 30th), goals-against average (.857, 57th), points per game (6.14, 38th), scoring offense (2.36, 16th), and shots per game (15.9, 49th), among others. Individually, multiple Panthers are ranked. Paquin sits fourth in the nation in game-winning goals (five), third in both goals per game (.93) and points per game (2.00), eighth in shots per game (4.86), and fifth in shots on goal per game (2.64). Sahirul ranks 51st in assists per game (.43) and 58th in total assists (six). Solis is 50th in the country in goals per game (.57) as well as 55th in points per game (1.36). Finally, Restrepo is ranked 51st in goals against average (.805).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE PANTHERS
The Miners are 3-2-1 against the Panthers all time. FIU came out on top in the most recent matchup, winning 3-1 in Miami on 9/17/23.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Miners return to the Borderland for the final two matches of the 2024 regular season, first playing host to Sam Houston Sunday (10/27) before heading out to Las Cruces, N.M., to take on NM State in a Halloween edition of the Battle of I-10 (10/31).

TICKETS
For tickets, fans can call 915-747-UTEP or visit UTEPMiners.com/Tickets for more information.

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