EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP soccer team will play its final two road contests of the season when it competes at Nevada at 6 p.m. PT/7 p.m. MT Wednesday before squaring off at UC Davis at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT Sunday. The Miners (8-5-3, 2-5 MW) will be looking to snap a four-game skid in addition to picking up their first Mountain West road win. Both the contest against the Wolf Pack (3-12-1, 0-6-1) and the match against the Aggies (5-9-2, 4-3-1 MW) will be streamed exclusively on MW+ (subscription required).
 
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All UTEP home matches and every league contest will be available exclusively on MW+. Built to bring fans closer to the action, MW+ serves as the dedicated home for UTEP's live events, original programming and on-demand content. Through its partnership with Kiswe, the Mountain West is introducing an interactive viewing experience designed for Miner Nation that is flexible, accessible and built for scale. MW+ subscriptions are available for $79.99 annually or $10.99 monthly. Fans can become MW+ subscribers and watch the Miners at https://watch.themw.com/utep/soccer-womens.
 
Time To Bounce Back
After falling in four straight tilts, all games UTEP played competitively, the Miners turn their attention to finishing out the season strong. The first opportunity comes this week with a pair of road matches. With a victory at either Nevada or UC Davis, the Orange and Blue will secure their first league road triumph since a 2-0 win at WKU five years ago (Oct. 17, 2021). It would also snap the longest skid (four in a row) since 2024 when the Miners also dropped four consecutive matches.
 
Conference Honors Have Stacked Up
UTEP has claimed four weekly awards from the Mountain West this year. The Miners boast a pair of MW women's soccer Defensive Player of the Week awards (Savanah Finley, Aug. 31, Macey Williams, Oct. 5), an offensive player of the week (Zeta McDannels, Sept. 14) and a freshman of the week (Haylee Lancaster, Sept. 14). The last time UTEP had at least three combined offensive and defensive players of the week within the same season was in 2012 (Tess Hall, Tori Martyn, offensive and Sarah Dilling, defensive). CUSA did not name a freshman of the week, and it selected an offensive, defensive and goalkeeper of the week starting in 2016.
 
Get To Know Nevada
Nevada got off to a 2-2 start to the season, but it has fallen on hard times since. The Wolf Pack are 1-10-1 since, including 0-6-1 within the Mountain West, to enter the match with UTEP at 3-12-1 overall. Nevada has dropped four straight, and it is still in search of its first home win (0-5-1) of the campaign. It has been outscored, 16-1, during the four-contest skid. The Wolf Pack sport 25 goals on the year, but 11 of those came in a rout at UAPB on Sept. 13. That was the last time Nevada tasted victory. Leslie Jacobo-Duran (six goals) paces the attack, but she has had some help. Carmen Coronado (four), Olivia Loomis (three), Jasmine Navarro (three) and Ella York (three) all have at least three tallies. Both Mia Collins and Iyan Hernandez have plenty of time in net this year, but Collins (59) has significantly more saves than Hernandez (15). Collins' 5.36 saves per game paces the league and is 39th in the nation. Nevada plays a clean style of soccer with only 7.88 fouls per game (fourth MW/81st NCAA). It is also among the league and national leaders for saves per game (5.5-second/50th) and fewest total yellow cards (23-first/15th).
 
Series History With Nevada
UTEP is a dominant 6-1-2 all-time against Nevada, with the series history dating to 2000 when both programs were members of the WAC. The Miners will be looking to stay perfect in Reno, where they stand 2-0-1 in three contests.
 
Get To Know UC Davis
UC Davis stands 5-9-2 on the season, but it is almost .500 (3-4) in Mountain West play. The Aggies have been hindered by going 1-6-1 on the road, but they are a respectable 4-3-1 at home. They had won three of four before being clipped at home by Hawai'i, 1-0, last time out on Oct. 18. Kaya Herndon (five goals) paces the offense while Lakelee Perkins and Jaycee DeFazio both have multiple goals as well. A trio of players have earned decent chunks of time in net, with each playing well. Cat Pieper has the best numbers in the group, pacing the squad in GAA (0.84), saves, save percentage (86.1) and wins (3-2-1). The Aggies make the most of their chances, getting 49.3 percent of shots on target (first MW/59th NCAA).
 
Series History With Davis
UTEP and UC Davis have a small sample size, having only squared off three times. The Miners won the first matchup, 3-1, in 2004 before falling the past two times out in 2021 and 2022.
 
Can't Catch A Break With VAR
The Miners have been on the wrong end of VAR decisions the past two weeks. Senior Dannique Wilson appeared to have her first goal of the campaign late in the contest against Wyoming on Oct. 18 only to have it taken after it was determined that Wilson fouled the defender to gain possession before sliding a shot past the goalkeeper. Most recently, New Mexico was awarded a penalty kick after the VAR decision produced a handball in the box on UTEP as opposed to a sliding blocked shot by Valeria Agudelo.
 
Picking It Up
Anai Lopez has elevated her play during Mountain West action, tallying a team-high two goals through seven games. The effort has elevated her season total to three. It is evidence of her hard work paying off. The junior had one goal combined in her first two campaigns with the Orange and Blue before finding the back of the net a trio of times this year.
 
Progress On The Road
UTEP is a 3-3-3 away from home in 2026, surpassing the total combined road triumphs over the past three seasons combined (two). Furthermore, it is the most road wins in a campaign since 2019 when the Miners went 4-4-2.
 
All About That Offense
The Miners have registered 20 goals to go along with 20 assists. That is the most for both of those categories since 2019 (28 goals, 29 helpers).
 
Talking Multi-Goal Games
Following the 2-1 triumph against Air Force (Oct. 2), UTEP marched to 9-2-1 all-time under head coach Gibbs Keeton when scoring at least twice. Both losses came in his first season. UTEP is 5-0 in the situation this year, with the five multi-goal games being the most in a campaign at the school since 2019 (nine).
 
Getting Defensive
The Miners have outscored the opposition, 20-14, aided by six shutouts while holding six other foes to a single goal. Helping its cause has been UTEP outshooting the opposition, 217-187, including a 122-100 cushion during the second half. The Miners boast a GAA of 0.88, which would be third all-time at the school. UTEP is also one clean sheet shy of moving into a tie for sixth place for a single season (seven, 2019, 2013, 2011, 2004, 2003, 2002).
 
Z Is For Zeta
Zeta McDannels is thriving in her second season with the Orange and Blue. She is tied for second in the Mountain West with seven goals. The midfielder also paces the Orange and Blue in points (14), shots (36) and shots on goal (15). McDannels' seven scores match the most by a Miner since Lauren Crenshaw also had seven in 2018. The last time a UTEP player surpassed seven goals was 11 years ago with 12 tallies by Angela Cutaia.
 
Something Not Seen Often By A Sophomore
Zeta McDannels' seven goals are the most in a single season by a UTEP sophomore since Brittany Kindzierski went wild with 11 scores in 2010. That also rates tied for seventh among Miner sophomores in program history.
 
Others Scoring Too
While Zeta McDannels has done the most damage with seven goals, she has had help. Five other Miners (Valeria Agudelo, Haylee Lancaster, Anai Lopez, Ashlyn Neireiter and Macey Williams) all sport a pair of tallies. It marks the first time since 2019 (seven) that UTEP has had at least six players contribute multiple goals in the same season.
 
Hitting The Target
Freshman Haylee Lancaster (70.0 percent) and junior Macey Williams (59.1 percent) have been extremely accurate with getting their shots on target. Lancaster has laced 14 shots of 20 attempts on frame while Williams boasts 13 shots on goal in 22 tries.
 
Sharing Is Caring
Forward Dannique Wilson enters this week tied for third in the Mountain West in assists with six (70th NCAA). The effort has easily surpassed her sum (four) from a year ago, and it is the most helpers by a Miner since 2019 (Tessa Carlin, seven and Jojo Ngongo, five).
 
Don't Forget About The GK
Sophomore GK Savanah Finley has been sensational as well, rating amongst the league and national leaders for goalie minutes played (1425:41-first/64th), GAA (0.884-third/74th), save percentage (81.3-second/63rd) and shutouts (five-fourth/77th).
 
Staying Busy
Savanah Finley has been especially busy of late, registering three straight games with at least five stops for the first time of her career. She had a season-high seven saves vs. Colorado College (Oct. 15) before making six stops at Wyoming (Oct. 18). Finley then had five last time out vs. New Mexico (Oct. 24). She nearly had another on a PK, but it was ruled that she left the line early and a retake attempt led to a goal.
 
Finley's Moving On Up
Sophomore GK Savanah Finley has registered five shutouts on the year, lifting her career total to nine. That effort puts her alone in sixth place while she now stands three back of Chandra Morden (12, 2008-11).
 
Winning Close
The Miners have six wins with a one-goal differential this season, showing the ability to close out contests in style. That equals the most such victories in a decade. The last time UTEP enjoyed more triumphs with just a one-tally difference was in 2015 with seven such wins.
 
More Than Double Last Year's Win Total
UTEP's eight victories on the season more than double its win total from 2025. It also is the most in a season for the Miners since 2019 (10-7-3). Making it more impressive is that the Miners have played just five matches at home. In fact, seven of the first 10 tilts were on the road before UTEP went 2-0 on a two-contest homestand. That marked the first time in 24 years that the Orange and Blue had just three of their initial 10 contests at University Field.
 
Shutout City
UTEP has recorded six shutouts on the year. The six clean sheets surpass last season's total (five), and this edition of the Miners is now one shy of cracking the program's single-season top-10 list.
 
Continuity In The Starting XI
Seven Miners have started every match of the season, affording head coach Gibbs Keeton some much-needed continuity out of the gates. Kialie Hudson (15), Gianna Wilbur (11) and Haylee Lancaster (10) haven't started every contest, but they all have at least 10 starts.
 
In The Rankings
The Miners' strong effort in 2026 has put them among the Mountain West leaders and top-100 nationally for goals against average (0.875-third/62nd) and save percentage (81.8-third/54th). Individually, Haylee Lancaster, Zeta McDannels and Macey Williams all sport two game-winning goals (fifth MW). Dannique Wilson ties for third in the league in assists (six-70th) while McDannels shares second for goals (seven). GK Savanah Finley has been sensational and sits among the leaders for multiple categories, including goalie minutes (1425:41-first/64th), GAA (0.884-third/74th), save percentage (81.3-second/63rd) and shutouts (five-fourth/77th).
 
Roster Rundown
UTEP has a solid nucleus of returnees in place for 2026. The Miners returned seven starters (GK Savanah Finley, MF Anai Lopez, MF Zeta McDannels, D Ashlee Mora, D Ashlyn Neireiter, D Olivia Roskos and MF Maya Vitoria) and seven others (MF Yesenia Cisneros, F Kaitlyn Duntley, D Avery Easley, MF Cassie Garza, F Ava Grosso, MF Ella Rorabaugh and MF Dannique Wilson) to give it 14 letter winners total in the fold from last year. There are also three players (MF Damaris Cisneros, MF Kialie Hudson and D Sasha Lucero) ready to rock from 2025 who sat out last season. UTEP added 12 newcomers, with five DI transfers (GK Jaylyn Hammond, Grambling State, F Shawna Larson, Sacramento State, MF Alana Lawless-Felarca, East Texas A&M, D Gianna Wilbur, Miami (Ohio) and D Macey Williams, Saint Peter's University), five freshmen (MF Kylie Alvarez, MF Bethlehem Daniel, F Haylee Lancaster, D Nyalah Reeves, D Sophia Tovar) and one each from the JUCO (F Valeria Agudelo) and NAIA (GK Ava Brandt) level.
 
Neireiter Never Comes Off The Pitch
UTEP senior D Ashlyn Neireiter takes fitness to a whole new level. She has gone the full 90 minutes in 47 of the past 49 matches, missing a combined 20 minutes of action since the beginning of 2024. Additionally, she has started every game (67) of her career.
 
A Trio Of Captains
Seniors Kialie Hudson and Ashlyn Neireiter and junior Ashlee Mora have leadership roles in 2026, with each being named a captain for the team.
 
31st Season Of UTEP Soccer
The 2026 campaign marks the 31st season in program history, with the Miners sporting an all-time record of 293-242-58. That is aided by a record of 8-5-3 on the year.  
 
Keeton Era Hits Year Four
The 2026 season is the fourth at the helm for El Paso native Gibbs Keeton. Buoying the gaffer are assistant coaches Morgan McDougal and Jared Hallman, who are also in their fourth years.          
 

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