UTEP Soccer Falls 1-0 to UC Riverside

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The UTEP soccer program was defeated 1-0 by UC Riverside at University Field Sunday afternoon. The Highlanders scored early in the first half and the Miners could not find the equalizer.

UTEP held a slight advantage in total shots (10-9) and corner kicks (6-2), but UCR earned more shots on goal (4-1). Angelina Amparano made three saves in net for the Miners.

“College soccer can be brutal, and we let the emotion of a hard-fought victory on Thursday bleed into our Sunday,” Head Coach Gibbs Keeton said. “We are still in the process of learning how to be winners, and unfortunately giving up the early goal changed our belief, and we weren’t able to chase the game the way we wanted to for 85 minutes. I think our players believe that we can score, the shots reflect our ability to score, as does the number of times we got in the box. We just didn’t score today, and when you give up an early goal, you have to score.”

The Highlanders took the lead in just the fifth minute of the game when Mimi Dominguez put a solo effort low to the right corner past Amparano.

For much of the first half, UTEP struggled to maintain possession against UCR, though they did fire off seven shots to the visitors’ four. Anai Lopez and Mina Rodriguez paced the Miners with 2 shots a piece, with Lopez firing one off the crossbar early in the period. Leslie Gutierrez, Marina Hill, and Sydney Williams also tallied one shot apiece in the first half.

The Orange and Blue came out stronger in the second half, with Sheyliene Patolo forcing a save from Highlander keeper Allee Grashoff in the 50th minute and Rodriguez following five minutes later with a shot the narrowly missed the right bottom corner of the net.

The Miners’ best chance of the game came midway through the second half when Ana Quintero broke away from the UCR defense and looked like she was in on goal, but a well-timed pass breakup from the visitors stopped the attack in its tracks. Quintero would later try a shot herself in the 75th minute, but it missed over the top.

UCR would have three shots in the final minutes of the game, but none hit the target.

UTEP now heads out on a two-game road spell. The first stop is at Stephen F. Austin Wednesday (8/28) at 6:15 p.m. MT/ 7:15 p.m. CT followed by a matchup at Houston Christian Saturday (8/31) at 6 p.m. MT/ 7 p.m. CT.

The next chance to see the Miners in action at home is Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. MT when they take on Texas A&M – Corpus Christi at University Field.