Game Book
EL PASO, Texas – Powered by goals from
Zeta McDannels (19') and
Macey Williams (58') and a season-high six saves by
Savanah Finley, the UTEP soccer team stayed hot by defeating Air Force, 2-1, in front of a rowdy crowd at University Field Friday evening.
The effort keeps the Miners (8-1-3, 2-1 MW) undefeated at home (5-0) while also securing their best start to conference play in six years. It came against a proven Falcons' squad (6-4-1, 1-2 MW), which entered the matchup with the top offense (21 goals) in the Mountain West.
McDannels' league-leading seventh goal of the season gave UTEP the early lead, with
Dannique Wilson and
Kialie Hudson being credited with assists on the play. AFA found the equalizer on a corner kick when Kambree Duker (44') tied the tilt late in the first half. Turnabout was fair play, as Williams hammered home a header of her own on a brilliant ball from
Anai Lopez on a UTEP corner 12 minutes into the second stanza. The Orange and Blue did enough the rest of the way to hold on for the victory against a quality opponent.
"For us it's super special tonight because we knew that we had to bring our 'a' game, and we did just enough to win," UTEP head coach
Gibbs Keeton said. "We felt really good about so many different variables in the game, specifically our game closeout. To score multiple goals has been a quest for this team, and we needed it tonight. There's just a long list of things to be proud of for our Miners tonight."
UTEP has picked up consecutive conference wins for the first time in seven years while also matching the best start in league play since 2020. The Miners now boast a +10 (11-1) scoring margin in five home contests, helping them stand undefeated in the Sun City at this juncture of the season for the first time in a decade.
Both teams were content to feel things out early on before the Falcons sent a shot (6') off target by Addie Doyle. The visitors then earned a corner kick (8'), which was defended cleanly by the Orange and Blue. The Miners started to have good, sustained possession deep in AFA territory, garnering multiple throw-ins (12').
After Air Force pressed back up the pitch, UTEP won the ball and went on the offensive. Hudson dribbled into space and fed it to Wilson, who deftly touched the pass to McDannels. She collected it, spun and blasted it home with her right foot to send the Orange and Blue in front, 1-0.
UTEP had a great chance to stretch its advantage to 2-0 after Wilson found herself with some space to work with. She floated a shot (22') just wide.
Macey Williams then sent a rocket (27') that was saved cleanly by Sydney Nelms.
Following a pair of routine saves by Finley on Annika Jost (38') and Ashley Yenawine (43'), respectively, the Miners looked like they were going to head into halftime with the lead. The Falcons managed to find the equalizer with a header from Duker with under two minutes to play in the stanza.
The Miners kept their composure, quickly regaining the lead in the second half. After Finley turned away a try (57') from Clara Teigland, the Miners blistered up the pitch to win a corner. Lopez served it through the wind where Williams outleapt everybody to send the header into the lower left part of the net.
UTEP refused to back off, with a rip (74') by
Ella Rorabaugh forcing Nelms into another save. The Falcons did turn things up a bit with hopes of tying the tilt down the stretch, but Finley and company had other ideas.
On a service on a corner kick (76'), Finley punched it up and away. AFA kept the ball in the box, leading a header (76') from Maddy Walsh, but Finley leapt to push it away. She then cleanly corralled another shot (82') from Walsh for her sixth and final save of the tilt. The Falcons had a trio of tries from distance over the final five minutes, none of which bothered Finley.
UTEP will look to continue its winning ways at Hawai'i on Oct. 11.
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