UTEP Miners

The 2015 preseason training camp is almost in the books, with the Miners set to open the campaign with two home matches this weekend. One of the best things about the program is how the team is truly a family, both on and off the pitch. That dynamic doesn't spring up overnight, though, but rather through some outstanding team-bonding activities during training camp.

The rundown of events included:
FootGolf
The Green Grass Classic
Movie Night At The Don Haskins Center
Water chugging contest
Sixth-Annual Media PK Challenge
UTEP Soccer Family Feud
And finally a visit to Fort Bliss

The Miners kick off the 2015 season at home with match-ups against Eastern Washington and Abilene Christian this weekend. There are 20 games on the regular-season docket, with highlights including 11 home matches, a midweek contest at I-10 rival NM State and a pair of tilts against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams.

Check out the official release on UTEPAthletics.com for further details. Fans may also either view the schedule in its entirety here or download and print off the schedule poster

Fans are in for a treat with a pair special promotions for the first two home games (Eastern Washington, 7 p.m. MT Friday and Abilene Christian, 1 p.m. MT Sunday) of the 2015 season.

The Alumni Association will put on a tailgate (5:30 p.m.) for the contest against EWU, with Rudy's Barbeque providing free food while supplies last. As part of "Faith and Family Day" for the tilt vs. Abilene Christian, fans will have a chance to get a pre-game donut courtesy of Krispy Kreme while supplies last.

Tickets for both matches will be $5 for adults and $3 for kids. The Team Days promotion is also back, and you can sign up to get your local area team out to a 2015 home game here!

University Field, the home for the Miner soccer program since its inception in 1996, has a new look this fall. The natural grass field was converted to FieldTurf Revolution Coolplay. It is a top-notch surface, which is FIFA 2 star certified.

The Miners have practiced on it throughout training camp, and looked pretty comfortable during a conditioning drill.

The football team's playing surface in the Sun Bowl and practice field at Glory Road has also been replaced, and fans can get all of the details about that project and for University Field here

With just two seniors (Angela Cutaia and Taylor Kidd) on the roster, the Miners' large junior class will help share the burden of the leadership load. UTEP's roster features eight juniors (Keighton Allen, Alexa Bain, Bri Barreiro, Aleah Davis, Nicole Lindsay, Hannah Nicholson, Alexis Roberts and Bri Thomas), including six (Bain, Barreiro, Davis, Lindsay, Nicholson and Thomas) who started for the squad in 2014. The eight juniors tie as the most during Kevin Cross's 14-year tenure at the school. The Orange and Blue also had eight juniors in 2006, 2002 and 2001.

UTEP features nine true freshmen on the roster, which matches the second-highest sum during the Cross era. The 2013 squad boasted 12 freshmen (10 true) while the 2008 team had 10 freshmen (nine true).

There have been a lot of great players to don the Orange and Blue for UTEP since the program's inception in 1996, and recently one of them picked up a tremendous honor.

Kelly Parker, who starred for the Miners from 1999-2002, has been selected as a member of the 2015 UTEP Athletics Hall of Fame class.

Parker, along with Troy Bassham, Bob Kitchens, Kelly Parker, Dick Shinaut and Stacie Townsend will be honored at the induction banquet on Friday, Oct. 23 at the Larry K. Durham Sports Center, as well as at the UTEP football team's Oct. 24 home game versus Florida Atlantic.

UTEP has been so lucky to get such great fan support throughout the years.

To make the relationship even better, the Miners are now interacting more than ever with its fans through social media.

Be sure to join the more than 1,500 fans to LIKE us on Facebook if you haven't already.

Don't forget to come join the 1,000+ fans to FOLLOW us on Twitter if you are not yet doing that.

Finally we hope that you'll be a part of the 150+ fans to FOLLOW us on Instagram if you aren't already there!

We look forward to hearing from you all!

For those who need a crash course on UTEP soccer, you've come to the right place. The Miners have been embraced by El Paso, and they have rewarded the faithful by turning into a league and regional power. Consider the following accomplishments under head coach Kevin Cross (* denotes prior to start of 2015 season):

• 170 wins to rate t23rd in the country since 2002
• Posted 10 top-100 RPI rankings since 2002
• Second in C-USA with 130 wins after becoming a member in 2005
• Played in three league championship games, including in 2011
• Dominant record of 107-22-8 at home since 2002
• Scored 603 goals to place 14th in the country since 2002
• Five-time C-USA attendance leader & 58,938 fans since 2005
• Earned 175 athletic honors & 274 academic awards in its 19-year history*
• Won at Texas to advance to the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament
• Been represented at both the FIFA Women's World Cup & Summer Olympics

1. EL PASO, TEXAS