UTEP Miners

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EL PASO, Texas – Zeta McDannels (18'), Anai Lopez (21'), Ashlyn Neireiter (60'), Bethlehem Daniel (70') and Valeria Agudelo (85') all found the back of the net in the UTEP soccer team's 5-0 rout of Division II Sul Ross State at University Field Sunday evening.
 
The Miners (2-0) weren't bothered by a three-hour weather delay, overwhelming the Lobos to lock up the program's first 2-0 start in 13 years. The offensive explosion produced the most goals since a 6-1 rout of Lubbock Christian (8/17/18). The Miners were credited with seven assists, tying for the eighth-highest total in school annals. Ella Rorabaugh and Dannique Wilson each notched a pair to lead the way while Avery Easley, Sasha Lucero and Lopez each had one.
 
"It's definitely nice to be at home and have the locker room vibe and really anything we need to support them to get on the field and take care of business (after a long weather delay)," UTEP head coach Gibbs Keeton said. "I think we saw it immediately from the start, their intent for tonight. It was probably against the best version of Sul Ross that we've ever seen. I'm really proud of their mentality as much as I am their play."
 
UTEP enjoyed a whopping 32-1 advantage for shots, the most tries in a tilt in 15 years (33, at Southern Miss, 10/2/11). A staggering 18 shots were on target, something that hadn't occurred since the Orange and Blue tallied 21 vs. Alabama A&M in 2010 (9/19/10). The visitors mustered one shot, which was easily corralled by Savanah Finley. Finley and transfer Ava Brandt, who logged the final 14 minutes in action, combined for the shutout. For the second time in the past three years, the Miners have opened the campaign with consecutive clean sheets. At the other end of the pitch, UTEP's seven tallies through two matches are the most since 2007 (eight).
 
Kat Graves turned away 13 shots for Sul Ross State before giving way to Avery Owen for the final 10 minutes of action.
 
UTEP kept Graves busy from the get-go, forcing a trio of stops over the first 15 minutes before it broke the seal. Wilson lobbed a ball ahead to Rorabaugh. She corralled it and drew Graves off the line before slicing the pass to McDannels for the pure finish. Less than four minutes later, Lopez doubled the Miners' lead. Wilson and Easley strung together two passes before Lopez went top bin with a wicked blast.
 
The Orange and Blue kept coming as the half progressed, with a ridiculous diving effort by Graves denying Sophia Tovar in the waning minutes of the stanza. UTEP was unable to convert on the ensuing corner kick, one of four in the affair, and it settled for the 2-0 edge at the break.
 
Neireiter nudged the margin to 3-0 with a one-timer in the 60th minute. After a failed clearance from the visitors, Rorabaugh played it out wide to Lopez. She lobbed it to Neireiter who redirected the shot home with her right foot.
 
Daniel found herself alone in the area 10 minutes later where she drilled the shot home for her first collegiate goal. Lucero used a nifty touch to set up the tally.
 
Agudelo capped the scoring with a clinical finish on a penalty kick with five minutes remaining in regulation.
 
UTEP will now take the show on the road, playing at Tarleton State (6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT on Thursday) and at ACU (12 p.m. MT/1 p.m. CT on Sunday) in the upcoming week.

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