DENTON, Tx – The UTEP soccer team (2-7, 0-1 C-USA) was clipped by (RV) North Texas (6-2-2, 1-1 C-USA) , 3-0, on the road Sunday afternoon.
It was a one-goal game with eight minutes to play before the Mean Green scored twice in the final eight minutes to pull away from the Miners.
Haley Roberson (23’), Devyn Flannery (83’) and Madison Drenowatz (84’) scored for the home side. The Orange and Blue tallied six shots in the game, including one that was saved off the line by the Mean Green defense early in the contest. UTEP also recorded a season-high tying five corner kicks. Luisa Palmen was credited with six saves, one shy of her career best.
The Miners turned up the heat in the early stages of the match, earning a corner kick in the third minute. The ball was batted around in the box before a shot from Vic Bohdan was blocked off the line for another corner. UTEP was unable to convert on their second corner.
A sneaky touch sent in UNT’s Flannery alone in the box on the ride side in the 16th minute. She unleashed a blast, but Palmen came up with a brilliant diving stop to keep the match, nil-nil. The Mean Green did pull ahead six minutes later, with a cross elevated over the UTEP defense tapped in at the far post by Roberson.
Palmen kept it a one-goal deficit when she stopped a floating shot from Conner Barker in the 27th minute. UTEP went back on the attack in the final minutes of the half, with a spinning shot by Kam Fisher blocked away by the North Texas defense.
The Miners earned their third corner kick of the contest two minutes into the second half, but the service was headed away by the UNT defense. The Mean Green then went on a counter attack, with Palmen making a diving save on a bouncing shot to her right in the 50th minute.
Palmen fought off a heavy shot by Jenna Sheeley in the 55th minute to keep it a one-goal game. UTEP then looked to counter, but Fisher’s shot was over the frame. UNT flew back up the pitch, with a string of passes setting up Roberson one-on-one with Palmen.
The Germany native stuck out her left leg at the last second to deny her on the breakaway.
The Miners had a great look with Bohdan open inside the box on the right side, but her shot sailed high and wide in the 70th minute. UTEP then had another opportunity wiped out on an offside call two minutes later.
In the 74th minute the flag again went up with another offside call halting a counter attack.
Palmen recorded a point-blank seven in the 77th minute. UTEP was then back on the attack, with its best chance of the second half. A deflected ball came to Emerson Kidd, whose shot rocked just over the bar.
The Mean Green came alive in the final eight minutes, scoring twice to snuff out any Miner comeback aspirations.
The Miners will return to action at home against UTSA at 7 p.m. Friday (Sept. 24). There will be both a live stream and live stats
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