EL PASO, Texas – The undefeated UTEP soccer team will look to continue its best start since 2005 when it concludes nonconference play at I-10 rival NM State at 7 p.m. MT Thursday. The Miners (6-0-2) have won four straight for the first time in nine years to enter the matchup at the Aggies (1-6-1) flying high. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
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Get To Know NM State
NM State is 1-6-1 on the season, but it has played a demanding nonconference slate that included setbacks against Arizona State, Arizona and USC among others. The Aggies boast a win at Abilene Christian (W, 1-0, Aug. 20), a team that UTEP tied, 0-0. Most recently, NM State battled in-state rival New Mexico to a 1-1 draw, converting a penalty kick with 14 seconds left in the match. Esme Arenas paces the team with goals (two), both of which have come on PKs. Angeline Montoya (one) also has found the back of the net this year, the Aggies' lone tally in the run of play. Karolanne Lafortune has played the bulk of the time in net, piling up 42 saves (second CUSA/22nd NCAA) for a .764 save percentage and a GAA of 2.00. She also has one shutout.
Series History With NM State
UTEP holds a commanding 10-3-2 advantage in the series with their I-10 rivals, which dates to 2009 with the start of the NM State program. The two sides have played to draws the past two years, including the Miners showing plenty of resolve to secure a 2-2 tie in Las Cruces in 2024.
Best Start In 21 Years
UTEP has bolted out of the gates at 6-0-2, locking up the best start to a season since 2005 when the Miners were unbeaten through 15 matches (14-0-1). It is the third-lengthiest undefeated surge to begin a campaign in program history (12-0, 2002). A victory at NM State would continue the incredible start while also ensuring this year's squad joins the 2005 & 2002 editions as the only in program history to cap nonconference play without a loss.
Winning Streak
The Miners have posted four straight victories, their longest streak since 2017 when they ripped off five consecutive wins. Three of those have come on the road, something UTEP hadn't done in a decade when it claimed three in a row in hostile territory during league action. The last time the Miners enjoyed four consecutive victories on the road was in 2015.
Winning Close
All four of UTEP's victories during its current winning streak have come by one goal. The last time the Orange and Blue ripped off at least four in a row with a one-goal margin in each contest was when they closed out the 2013 nonconference schedule in that manner.
Road Warriors
UTEP is 3-0-2 on the road, its longest streak without a loss in hostile territory to start a season since 2013 (5-0-1). The trio of triumphs in hostile territory tops the total of such victories over the past three years combined. It's also already the most in a season since 2019 (4-4-2).
Going Back In Time
The UTEP soccer team went 2-0 in the past week, sweeping a road trip for the first time in a decade. The Miners started things off by besting UTRGV, 2-1, on Sept. 10 before handing Texas A&M-Corpus Christi its first home loss of the year, 2-1, last time out on Sept. 13. UTEP trailed, 1-0, against the Vaqueros before a second-half brace by
Zeta McDannels powered its first comeback road triumph since 2019. That year the Orange and Blue erased a 2-1 halftime deficit in an eventual 3-2 victory against Marshall. UTEP followed that up by scoring twice over the first 24 minutes on the way to downing the Islanders.
McDannels And Lancaster Reap Mountain West Honors
Midfielder
Zeta McDannels (Offensive Player of the Week) and forward
Haylee Lancaster (Freshman of the Week) were both recognized by the Mountain West after UTEP posted a pair of 2-1 road wins, the league office announced on Sept. 14. It marked the first time since 2022 that multiple Miners claimed a weekly accolade in a single week. McDannels became the initial UTEP student-athlete to win a soccer Offensive Player of the Week since 2018 (
Lauren Crenshaw, CUSA, 9/3/18). McDannels accounted for three of UTEP's four goals on the week while Lancaster registered a game-winning assist and a game-winning goal.
McDannels Taking Off
Buoyed by scoring three times in the most-recent roadswing,
Zeta McDannels enters the matchup at NM State with a team-leading five goals on the season (second Mountain West/57th NCAA). It already matches the most tallies on a season by a Miner in two years (
Ana Quintero, five, 2024). The last time the Miners had a player produce at least six goals was eight years ago with
Lauren Crenshaw (seven, 2018).
Sharing Is Caring
Forward
Dannique Wilson enters this week with a team-high four assists, matching her total from last year. The last time a Miner had more than four helpers was in 2019 (
Tessa Carlin, seven and
Jojo Ngongo, five).
Standing Alone In The Mountain West
At 6-0-2 on the season, UTEP is the only program in the Mountain West to sport an unblemished record (through Sept. 13). All 10 other members of the league have lost at least two matches. Furthermore, the Miners are one of 26 programs nationally without a loss.
Still Unbeaten
After sweeping a road trip for the first time in a decade, the Miners boast an undefeated record of 6-0-2 going into the rivalry matchup at NM State. The Orange and Blue's unblemished mark through eight games is the longest streak to start a season in 21 years (14-0-1, 2005) and third-lengthiest beginning to a year (12-0, 2002) in program history.
Finley's Moving On Up
Sophomore GK
Savanah Finley has registered four shutouts on the year, lifting her career total to eight. That effort already puts her in a tie for sixth place all-time in program history, standing alongside
Emily Parrott (2019-21) and
Jessica Salvi (2006-07). Her next blanking will give her sole possession of sixth place while also putting her three shy of
Chandra Morden (12, 2008-11).
Shutout City
UTEP has already recorded five shutouts on the year. The five clean sheets equal the total from 2025 and are two shy of cracking the program's single-season top-10 list.
Continuity In The Starting XI
Nine Miners have started every match of the season, affording head coach
Gibbs Keeton some much-needed continuity out of the gates.
Kialie Hudson has earned a starting nod in all seven of her appearances while
Shawna Larson has done so four times, resulting in a very stable look for the Orange and Blue to commence the campaign.
In The Rankings
The Miners' tremendous start to the season has put them among the Mountain West leaders and within the top-100 nationally for multiple categories. Among them are assists per game (1.6-second/97th), goal differential (+11, first/47th), goals against average (.375-first/13th), save percentage (.906-first/eighth), shots accuracy (.500-third/76th), shots on goal per game (7.3-first/60th), shutout percentage (.625-first/22nd) and win-lost-tied percentage (.875-first/14th). Individually,
Haylee Lancaster and
Zeta McDannels both sport two game-winning goals (second/33rd).
Dannique Wilson checks in among the leaders for assists per game (0.5-first/57th) while McDannels does so for goals per game (0.6-third/74th). GK
Savanah Finley is also among the leaders for multiple categories, including goalie minutes (705:41, first/63rd), GAA (0.383-first/14th), save percentage (90.0-first/11th) and shutouts (four-first/17th).
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 39 of the past 41 matches, missing a combined 20 minutes of action since the beginning of 2024. Additionally, she has started every game (59) of her career.
A Trio Of Captains
Seniors
Kialie Hudson and
Ashlyn Neireiter and junior
Ashlee Mora will have leadership roles in 2026, with each being named a captain for the team.
FIFA 2026 U-20 Women's World Cup Beckons For Mora
UTEP standout
Ashlee Mora represented Mexico at the ongoing 2026 U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland. The event is set to run from Sept. 5-27.
31st Season Of UTEP Soccer
The 2026 campaign marks the 31st season in program history, with the Miners sporting an all-time record of 291-239-57
.
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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