EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP soccer team (3-8-3, 0-3-2 CUSA) will play its final two road matches of the regular season this week, locking up at WKU (7-4-2, 4-0-1 CUSA) at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT Thursday and at Middle Tennessee (8-4-3, 3-1-1 CUSA) at 12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT Sunday. The games are of the upmost importance in the Miners' pursuit of a bid to the 2025 CUSA Championships.
Both matches can be tracked on Stat Broadcast. There is no live stream for the contest at WKU but the tilt against the Blue Raiders can be viewed on ESPN+
Get To Know WKU
WKU is 7-4-2 overall, including standing undefeated (4-0-1 CUSA) in league play, with its 13 points putting it one back of first-place Liberty. The Toppers are riding a three-match winning streak, doubling up the opposition by a count of 6-3 in the stretch. Overall, WKU has outscored foes by a more than two-to-one ratio (25-12), aided by advantages in shots (167-117), shots on goal (77-59) and corner kicks (64-35). The Toppers' scoring offense (1.92 goals per game) paces CUSA and is 74th in the country. They are also among the league and national leaders for goal differential (+13, third/61st), GAA (0.923-second/71st), points per game (5.15-third/99th), save percentage (0.797-second/90th) and won-lost-tied percentage (.615-fourth/97th). Georgia Liapis (seven goals-second CUSA/72nd NCAA) keys the charge offensively. Makenna Egan (four goals), Camryn Davis (three goals) and Danielle Lewin (two goals) also have found the back of the net on multiple occasions. Maddie Davis has been a standout in net, sporting a save percentage of .813 (third/71st).
Series History With WKU
UTEP is 3-4-1 all-time against WKU, giving the Miners a chance to even the ledger if they can pick up a victory on the road Thursday. The Orange and Blue will be squaring off against the Toppers on the road for the first time in three years. The past two matchups have both occurred in El Paso.
Get To Know Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is an impressive 8-4-3 on the season, including a stout record of 3-1-1 in CUSA action. The Blue Raiders have won two straight and are a combined 4-1-2 over their past six matches. Middle Tennessee has shut out 40.0 percent (second CUSA/98th NCAA) of its opponents, while boasting a minute 0.933 goals against average (third CUSA/81st NCAA), which has helped it put together a won-lost-tied percentage of .633 (third CUSA/89th NCAA). Keying the offense has been Emma Pettersen with seven goals (second CUSA/72nd NCAA). She takes 2.80 shots per game (third CUSA), including 1.73 shots on goal per contest (second CUSA/42nd NCAA). Taijah Fraser (three goals) and Alli Craig (three goals) have also finished multiple chances on the campaign. All three of Fraser's goals have served as match winners (second CUSA/40th NCAA), giving her a flair for the dramatic. Demi Gronauer and Ella Sellers have each shined in net, with both producing a trio of shutouts (fifth CUSA).
Series History With Middle Tennessee
UTEP is 3-6-1 all-time against Middle Tennessee, but the Miners are 1-1-1 against the Blue Raiders over the past three years. That includes forging a 1-1 tie on the road the last time (2023) the Orange and Blue challenged MT in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Tough Task Ahead
UTEP's two opponents this week have forged a combined record of 7-1-2 in CUSA play, giving the Miners a tremendous opportunity to prove their mettle. Both squads have also been very good at home, standing a combined 8-2-4 when defending their home pitch. WKU is 3-1-2 in Bowling Green, Ky., while MT sports a mark of 5-1-2 in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Defending Without Fouling
UTEP has excelled defensively in 2025, but it has done so with a clean style of soccer. The Miners have been called for only 8.21 fouls per match, which is the third fewest infractions per game in CUSA and just outside the top-100 nationally (108th). Aiding that figure is back-to-back affairs with five fouls or less.
Shots, Shots, Shots
The Miners have outshot the opposition in three straight and four of the past five contests, including holding a 12-7 cushion last time out at Sam Houston on Oct. 11. The effort improved UTEP's seasonal advantage to a total of 191-154, including 78-64 for shots on target.
Get To The Corner
UTEP made an emphasis to create opportunities on set pieces at Sam Houston, piling up five corner kicks. The five corner kicks are the most by the Miners in a CUSA contest since they also had five in a 2-1 triumph against the Bearkats on Oct. 27, 2024.
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 a 2-2 draw on Oct. 4.
Assists Galore 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 four 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) achieved the feat. There are three matches remaining in the regular season, giving her a good chance at the most helpers by a Miner in six years.
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 three 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 (4.00-19th NCAA). She is also third in the conference and 43rd nationally with 1.71 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).
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 95th NCAA). She is one short of cracking the school's single-season top-10 list for shutouts.
Taking All The Minutes
UTEP freshman GK
Savanah Finley has started and played every minute of every match this season. Her 1260 minutes logged ties for third in Conference USA among netminders, while also giving her a share of 34th nationally. She has produced four shutouts (tied second CUSA/tied 95th NCAA). Finley is the first Miner freshman netminder with multiple shutouts in a season since
Emily Parrott (seven, 2019). She also became 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 1252 out of 1260 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). Overall, on offense she has taken seven shots, three of which have been on target.
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 14 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 285-238-52, including 176-79-24 at University Field (elevation of 4,200 feet).
Join the 915 Campaign
UTEP Athletics has launched the "915 Campaign." Fans can support the Miners by contributing as little as $9.15 per month to UTEP's Talent Acquisition Fund (TAF), which directly impacts the success of UTEP student-athletes. To join the "915 Campaign" and become a difference maker for UTEP Athletics, please click
here.
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