UTEP Soccer Begins 2024 Campaign at ACU

8/15/2024 12:30:00 PM

By: Claire Gay

EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP soccer program will travel to Abilene, Texas, Saturday to take on the Wildcats of Abilene Christian at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT in the initial matchup of the 2024 season.

GAME COVERAGE
Saturday vs ACU – Live Stats or Watch Here

2024 BY THE NUMBERS
The 2024 season sees UTEP play host in seven home games, with four coming against CUSA opponents. The team will be on the road for 11 contests, including wrapping up the regular season at Battle of I-10 rival NM State on 10/31/24.

LEADING THE TROOPS
Senior goalkeeper Angelina Amparano and junior defender Kaila Hudson were chosen to wear the armband and lead the Miners on the field for the 2024 season.

GUESS WHO'S BACK? BACK AGAIN!
The Miners return nine of 11 starters from the 2023 season and bring back 19 total players from last year's squad.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…
Notable returners from the 2023 team include all three post-season award winners. Sheyliene Patolo was an All-Conference Third Team selection while Nicole Morales and Ashlyn Neireiter were both named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Head Coach Gibbs Keeton brought in 11 newcomers to bolster the roster. There are 10 true freshmen (Anessa Barrera, Emma Cook, Cassie Garza, Danica Guzman, Anai Lopez, Ashlee Mora, Lilly Powers, Ana Quintero, Sarina Villa Cuellar, and Sydney Williams) and one sophomore transfer (Marina Hill).

INTERNATIONAL DUTIES
Two Miners are coming into the 2024 season with national team experience. Ana Quintero has tallied five caps for the Panama Women's National Team and Sarina Villa Cuellar has earned three caps for El Salvador.

SCOUTING REPORT: ACU
The Wildcats are returning eight starters and 17 total players from a 2023 team that went 7-9-2 overall and 2-6-1 in WAC play, while also adding nine newcomers to the 2024 squad. A notable returner is senior forward Chayse Thorn, who earned both First Team All-Conference and Third Team All-Pacific Region honors. Thorn paced ACU with 14 goals and two assists in 18 games. She posted 45 shots (30 on goal) and notched five game-winners while amassing over 1200 minutes. She also played her way into the national rankings, including finishing first in conference and 14th in the NCAA in game-winning goals (5), third in the WAC and seventh in the country in goals per game (.78), first in the league and eighth in the nation in shot accuracy (.667), and third in conference, 12th nationally in total goals (14). Other prominent returners include Taylor Sarver (Denn), who tallied four goals and three assists for the Wildcats and McCarly Holloman, who led the team in minutes played (1,519).

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE WILDCATS
UTEP is 2-5-3 all time against ACU. In 2023, the two sides played to a 0-0 draw at University Field on 8/24/23.

2023 SEASON REWIND
The Orange and Blue took strides in the right direction during Gibbs Keeton's first season at the helm of the program. The team went 1-2-3 over the last six games of the year (1-9-1 to start the campaign).

SPRING-ING FORWARD
The Miners are looking to capitalize off of a positive spring season, which included a lot of player development and exciting experiences. Highlighting the spring season was an incredible effort from UTEP to draw 0-0 against a tough FC Juarez Femenil squad in an international friendly at University Field on 4/3/24.

BUILDING BLOCKS
Heading into the second full year with Keeton and his staff, the team has put much emphasis on fostering meaningful relationships and reconstructing the culture into one focused on achieving the most out of the season.

LOOKING AHEAD
The first chance to see the Miners in action is next Thursday (8/22) at 7 p.m. when they welcome Texas A&M – Commerce to the borderland.

Help support UTEP student-athletes by making a gift to the Miner Athletic Club.
Visit givingto.utep.edu/mac today!

For complete coverage of UTEP women's 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.

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