BOISE, Idaho – Eve Barry (31') buried her second goal of the season, Savanah Finley registered five saves (all in the first half), and the UTEP soccer team defeated defending Mountain West regular-season champions Boise State, 1-0, on the road Sunday afternoon.
 
It was a masterclass performance for the Miners (3-4-1), who did not allow the Broncos (2-3-2) to register a shot on goal during the second half. When BSU did pressure, the freshman Finley was stellar en route to producing her fourth clean sheet of the campaign. She had five saves, including two highlight-reel stops, while also patrolling the area and managing the clock with a savviness beyond her years.
 
Mina Rodriguez and Zeta McDannels were credited with assists on Barry's eventual match winner. It came on a corner kick, with Rodriguez sending it toward McDannels. She cleanly redirected it toward Barry, who half-volleyed home the shot with a nifty right-footed flick.
 
UTEP generated three corner kicks, all in the first period, while finishing with five shots in the tilt. Four of those came in the second half, as the Miners skillfully tight walked the balance of attacking and clamping down defensively. BSU was held to four total shots (none on target) in the second stanza after compiling 11 (five on goal) in the first 45 minutes of action.
 
Ava de Leest posted one save in the losing effort for the home team, which was unable to match the toughness of the Miners.
 
"Boise State is a team that's going through similar ups and downs as we are in nonconference," UTEP head coach Gibbs Keeton said. "Our objective before the game was to rely on our defensive mentality and do our best to scrap and fight for chances. I feel it was a bold strategy for our Miners, and they leaned in all the way to the game plan and earned a victory against a top opponent."
 
UTEP got the ball up the pitch early in the tilt, but right before it could get a shot off, the Broncos won back possession. On BSU's first foray into the offensive end, Finley snuffed out the chance by picking off a shot that might have been intended as a cross but still ended up on target.
 
The Broncos had a great look in the 12th minute when a low, hard shot by Olivia Collins was seemingly destined for the back of the net. Finley had other ideas, though, extending fully to deliver a brilliant save by snaring the ball with her outstretched right hand. UTEP countered to earn a corner kick, but it was unable to get anything heading toward the frame.
 
Ashlyn Neireiter did well to head away a shot before it could even get to Finley. Quality marking from the Miners then forced a pair of shots off target, and the match stayed scoreless 18 minutes in. The Orange and Blue vied to find Barry up the left wing in the 25th minute, but a pass had a bit too much pace and de Leest corralled it.
 
Finley was called upon twice within the next three minutes, and she stood tall. She showed off perfect form to smother a shot at the near post from Kenzie MacMillan. Finley then used a quick dive to turn away the try from Madie Donovan.  
 
Buoyed by the stops, UTEP methodically moved the ball ahead. An aggressive throw-in from Ashlee Mora put the Broncos on their heels. The ball was touched by a BSU defender, and de Leest tried to grab it before the ball could go over the end line. She was too late, however, as UTEP was awarded the corner kick. The Miners made the most of it, executing the set piece to perfection to vault into the lead. Rodriguez laced a ball to McDannels, who half volleyed it toward Barry. Without hesitation, she used her own half volley to immediately send it into the back of the net.
 
Boise State upped its intensity after conceding, but UTEP remained locked in. The Broncos tried to pull even with less than 15 seconds to play in the first half, but an incredible dive to her left by Finley allowed her to redirect the shot by Kenadee Godderidge wide with two hands. UTEP then fought off the ensuing corner, and it carried the cushion into the locker room as result.
 
The Miners were looking for another tally early in the second stanza, but Ana Quintero's shot was blocked in the 48th minute. BSU then had a quality chance off a free kick. It was lobbed into the box and headed toward the far post, but no one was home. After another ball was sent to the area, UTEP's defense blocked away a shot to set up a corner kick. The Orange and Blue took care of business, though, not letting anything get to Finley.
 
UTEP continued to keep the clamps on defensively as the half wore on, winning one vs. one battles deep in its territory. Finley also snagged a couple balls played ahead, wisely milking some clock by falling on them despite no attacker in the area.   
 
Armed with the 1-0 edge, the Miners picked their spots offensively. McDannels had a shot blocked in the box in the 72nd minute. BSU continued to try to look for weaknesses in UTEP's defense, but the Miners' shape and decision making were spot on. They cleared balls into open areas and closed in quickly to prevent shot attempts while continuing to eat up the clock. UTEP also won a couple services into the area.
 
The end result was a clinic on how to manage a lead, particularly on the road, as the Miners cruised down the stretch to close out the victory. Boise State managed a pair of shots within the final 10 minutes, but both were off the mark.
 
The Miners will wrap up nonconference play by competing at Big 12 member Arizona State at 7 p.m. MST/8 p.m. MDT Friday.
 
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