EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP soccer team (3-7-3, 0-2-2 CUSA) will look to start a three-game roadswing on a high note when it plays at Sam Houston (5-4-2, 2-1-1) at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT Saturday. It is the lone match of the week for both squads, in addition to serving as the home finale for the Bearkats.
 
Live stats will be available on Stat Broadcast, but there will not be a live video stream.
 
Get To Know Sam Houston
Sam Houston is enjoying a strong season, standing 5-4-2 overall and 2-1-1 in league play. The Bearkats had a four-match unbeaten streak snapped last time out when WKU put away a chance with nine seconds left to topple Sam Houston, 1-0, on Oct. 5. The Bearkats enter the contest tied for sixth in the league standings with seven points, but they have a tough task ahead with three of their final four tilts away from home. Sam Houston does a good job of pressuring the opposition, rating second in CUSA and 98th nationally with 6.36 shots on goal per game. It is also among the top four in the league for shots per game (13.45-third) and assists per game (1.18-fourth). Sam Houston features a balanced attack with eight different players finding the back of the net this year, including four with multiple goals. Tiana Johnson and Ellie Morgan share the top spot at three each. Johnson has also been credited with three assists, allowing her to top the team in that category and points as well (nine). Katie Bahn has been a stalwart in net, starting 11 matches while producing three shutouts (tied fourth CUSA). She has racked up 49 saves while turning away 73.2 percent of shots faced for a goals against average of 1.49. Two of her clean sheets have come in CUSA action.
 
Series History With Sam Houston
UTEP is undefeated in 10 prior meetings (9-0-1) with Sam Houston, but eight of those occurred from 2003-12. The Miners are 1-0-1 in CUSA matches vs. the Bearkats, battling to a scoreless tie on the road in 2023 and taking them out, 2-1, at home last year.
 
Never Give Up
UTEP trailed 2-0 at the break against Kennesaw State (Oct. 4) before fighting back with a pair of second-half goals to earn a hard-fought 2-2 tie last time out. It marked the first time since 2023 that the Orange and Blue dug themselves a 2-0 deficit before rallying to secure a point. UTEP found itself down, 2-0, in the 15th minute at LA Tech (9/24/23), but it dug deep with scores in the 21st and 85th minutes, respectively, to stave off defeat.
 
Get Multiple Goals And We're Pretty, Pretty Good
Dating to the start of last season, the Miners stand a stout 4-0-2 when scoring at least two goals in a contest. UTEP is 1-0-1 in the situation this season, having drilled Texas Southern, 4-0, on Aug. 17 before rallying to pick up a point against Kennesaw State with two second-half goals in the 2-2 draw on Oct. 4.
 
Keeping The Pressure Up
UTEP has registered at least 20 shots in back-to-back contests for the first time this season and the second occasion of the Gibbs Keeton era. The Miners fired 20 against Delaware (9/28) and followed that up with 21 vs. Kennesaw State (10/4). UTEP also achieved the feat in 2024, recording 21 at Kennesaw State (9/19/24) and 24 vs. Middle Tennessee (9/26/24).
 
First Goals Cemented In Place
UTEP's rally vs. Kennesaw State (10/4) was fueled by the first career goals of sophomore Anai Lopez (66') and freshman Grace Culver (71'). They came less than six minutes apart, with Dannique Wilson setting up Lopez and Ashlee Mora being credited with the helper on Culver's tally.
 
That's Two Goals In Less Than Six Minutes
UTEP found the back of the net twice in a span of only five minutes and 44 seconds against Kennesaw State (10/4). It was the first time that the Orange and Blue produced two goals less than six minutes apart since the 2022 campaign when Taya Lopez (28') and Tessa Carlin (30') needed just 2:09 to run off the clock between scores in an eventual 3-1 win at Wyoming (9/4/22). The last occasion that happened in a CUSA affair was in a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against UAB (3/14/21). Carlin (81') and Adriana Lopez (84') provided the fireworks, with only 2:34 between tallies.  
 
Assists Piling Up For Dannique
JUCO transfer Dannique Wilson has been credited with a team-leading three assists on the season, aided by two helpers in the past three tilts (vs. Liberty, 9/25, vs, Kennesaw State, 10/4). She also set up a goal at Arizona State (9/12). The last time a Miner had more than three assists on the year was in 2019 when both Tessa Carlin (seven) and Jojo Ngongo (five) each achieved the feat. There are four matches remaining in the regular season.
 
Quintero Keying The Offense
Sophomore Ana Quintero buried a chance against Liberty (9/25), which served as her team-leading fourth goal of the campaign. She needs one goal over the final four contests of the regular season to match her total (five) from her stellar freshman season. Quintero has been a problem all year long for opponents, topping CUSA in shots per game (3.92-23rd NCAA). She is also second in the conference and 45th nationally with 1.69 shots on goal per contest.
 
Wilson Doing Her Part
Junior Dannique Wilson blasted home a shot for a brilliant goal against Delaware (9/28), marking her first as a Miner. Coupled with her team-best three assists, she is second on the squad for points (five).
 
Offense Getting On Track
After being shut out in back-to-back tilts, the Miners have found the back of the net in three straight matches. It's the longest such streak with a goal in league play since 2023. UTEP hasn't put away a chance in four consecutive CUSA contests since doing so five in a row in 2020 (played in spring 2021 due to Covid 19).
 
Mora Back From Camp U-20 Mexico National Team
Ashlee Mora had her third call-up to the U-20 Mexico National Team prior to the Miners' match at Arizona State (9/12). She missed that contest as result but has since returned to the Orange and Blue. All three of Mora's invitations to train with the squad have occurred since April 2025.
 
Finley One Shutout Shy Of UTEP Single-Season Top-10
Freshman standout Savanah Finley has recorded four clean sheets on the year (tied second CUSA/tied 82nd NCAA). She is one short of cracking the school's single-season top-10 list for shutouts. Furthermore, Finley is three shy of equaling the most in a campaign by a Miner freshman GK. Emily Parrott registered seven as a true freshman in 2019.
 
Taking All The Minutes
UTEP freshman GK Savanah Finley has started and played every minute of every match this season. Her 1170 minutes logged ties for third in Conference USA among netminders, while also giving her a share of 39th nationally. She has produced four shutouts (tied second CUSA/tied 82nd NCAA). Finley is the first Miner freshman netminder with multiple shutouts in a season since Emily Parrott (seven, 2019). She also is the initial UTEP freshman GK to start in the opener dating to Parrott's run in 2019.
 
Defending Cleanly
Co-captain Ashlyn Neireiter, who has started every match on the back line for UTEP, is incredibly durable. She has played a possible 1162 out of 1170 minutes this year. Furthermore, she has committed only three fouls. The junior has also gotten involved offensively with a game-winning goal on a header against Tarleton State (8/28).  
 
Spreading The Wealth For Match Winners
UTEP's three triumphs have come on match winners from three different players (Eve Barry, Ashlyn Neireiter and Ana Quintero).
 
Unselfish Soccer
UTEP has scored 12 goals on 14 assists, with every tally this year being set up by at least one player. The 13 helpers are the most by the Miners since 2021 (18). Dannique Wilson sets the tone with a team-best three while Ashlee Mora, Mina Rodriguez and Olivia Roskos have two each. The Orange and Blue are on track to have more assists than goals for the first time in three years.
 
Honor Thy Captains
The Miners appointed co-captains for the 2025 season, with defenders Kaila Hudson and Ashlyn Neireiter sharing the honors.
 
Double Trouble
UTEP has two sets of twins on the 2025 roster (freshmen Damaris Cisneros and Yesenia Cisneros and seniors Kaila Hudson and Kialie Hudson), in addition to three other individuals with twin sisters (junior Eve Barry, freshman Ava Grosso and sophomore Sarina Villa Cuellar).
 
30th Season Of UTEP Soccer
The 2025 campaign marks the 30th season in program history. The Miners boast an all-time record of 285-237-52, including 176-79-24 at University Field (elevation of 4,200 feet).
 

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