PHOTO CREDIT: UNLV Athletics (Gianna Wilbur)
UTEP Soccer Suffers First Loss Of Season, 2-1, At UNLV In Mountain West Opener
LAS VEGAS – The UTEP soccer team sustained its first loss of the season, 2-1, at the hands of homestanding UNLV in the Mountain West opener for both squads Thursday evening.
The two sides played to a scoreless first 45 minutes before the Rebels (3-4-2, 1-0 MW) got on the board with a finish at the far post off a corner kick by Macee McKenna (51’). UNLV added another goal from Kamri Yergensen (69’) off a rebound. The Miners (6-1-3, 0-1 MW) chose to not go quietly into the night, with a cracker by Anai Lopez (78’) cutting the deficit in half. Valeria Agudelo and Dannique Wilson were credited with assists on the play. They kept coming after the goal, but UNLV managed to hold on.
UTEP piled up 16 shots, including one that clanked off the post (23’) by Wilson in that opening frame. The Rebels’ physical play, which resulted in 14 fouls, was a factor. Sophomore GK Savanah Finley was credited with four saves, including a breathtaking diving stop in the first half, while her counterpart Riley Hodson made three saves.
UNLV had the first chance of the tilt with a counterattack, but Ana De Los Santos’ attempt (5’) was wide of the frame. The Miners regrouped and bolted up the pitch. A through ball, however, led Wilson a little too much, and the GK slid to snag it. Another potential chance for the Orange and Blue was then wiped out on an offside (8’) call. The Rebels were quickly back on the offensive. Savanah Finley was up to the task, denying the try (9’) from Kamri Yergensen.
UTEP’s first shot came after several quick passes sent the ball up to the left wing for the Orange and Blue. Zeta McDannels drove toward the corner before dropping it back to Anai Lopez. She misfired from the left wing, with the shot (13’) sailing high. UNLV won the first corner kick (20’) of the game, but the Miners successfully headed away the service. UTEP then marked tightly to prevent an attempt (21’) from McKenna from being on frame.
The Miners nearly got on the board, but Wilson’s blast (23’) ricocheted off the post before being sent away. UNLV’s Kaitlin Taylor bolted up the left wing and crossed it. Finley was there and was credited with a stop on the service (29’). UTEP tried to rush up the field quickly, and eventually Ashlee Mora sent a shot (30’) wide.
Lopez put her defender on skates and whipped a cross into the box. The Miners couldn’t quite get to it, with UNLV managing to clear it away. The Rebels then raced up the pitch. Taylor’s try (36’) was blocked. The rebound eventually ended up with Emma Flannery, who hit a howitzer (36’) that Finley made a brilliant diving save to her right to keep the match scoreless.
UTEP created a good look off a free kick following a booming ball by Macey Williams. It was loose before Ashlyn Neireiter floated it (41’) just over the bar. The Miners kept the pressure up, but the attempt (41’) by Zeta McDannels whistled wide. They then earned their first corner kick (44’) of the contest, but the home side won the service. Neither side mustered anything in the final minute, keeping the match scoreless through 45 minutes of action.
Good defensive shape by the Miners led to an offside call (47’) against UNLV in the opening stages of the second stanza. Shawna Larson then drilled a left-foot shot (48’) that forced a leaping save from Riley Hodson. The close call loomed large with the Rebels getting on the board first off a corner kick. McKenna tapped it home (51’) on the far post.
UTEP had a great look on a set piece to equalize, but Olivia Roskos’ rocket (56’) sliced a little off target. The Orange and Blue then earned another corner kick (61’), but it didn’t pay off. Haylee Lancaster ripped a try (63’) that was blocked. The Miners kept the pressure up with another corner kick (64’) only to have a foul wipe away the opportunity. Yet another corner kick (67’) was garnered for UTEP, but it couldn’t generate a chance.
The Rebels pushed their edge to 2-0 with Yergensen following up a rebound. Finley had saved the attempt by Julia Salem (69’), but UTEP was unable to clear it away as Yergensen put it away into the empty net.
UTEP pressed immediately up the pitch, but Hodson saved the shot (70’) from Agudelo. The Miners refused to go away quietly, with a wicked blast (78’) from Lopez that Hodson had no chance on. Agudelo and Wilson were credited with assists on the play.
The Miners quickly repossessed after the kickoff from UNLV. A shot (79’) from Shawna Larson was blocked, and the follow-up from Alana Lawless-Felarca sailed high. The Rebels essentially parked the bus in the waning minutes, with the final attempt (90’) by Lancaster being saved by Hodson.
UTEP will look to get back into the win column when it welcomes San Jose State to University Field at 1 p.m. MT Sunday. It will be the Hispanic Heritage game where fans can buy a $5 ticket at the entrance by wearing a soccer jersey while also enjoying food specials and maracas as giveaways.
