Tag Archives: UTEP Soccer

The UTEP women’s soccer team found the back of the net three times as Carleigh Simmons (46’), Vic Bohdan (72’) and Lauren Crenshaw (84’) added their names to the scorer sheet, but ultimately fall to WKU 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

WKU (4-7-2, 1-4-0) led the game in shots with 13 (eight on target) and registered four corners. UTEP (6-7-1, 1-4-0) notched nine shots (six on target) and two corner kicks.

The Lady Toppers jumped out to an early lead with a goal in the opening six minutes coming from Ambere Barnett. Barnett would add an assist to her stat line in the 20th minute, feeding a pass to Sarah Gorham giving WKU a two-goal lead.

The Miners would respond with a header coming from Nicole Pugsley in the 24th minute. Pugsley, using her height advantage to get over a WKU defender, put the ball just wide of the net.

WKU’s Barnett would find her second goal of the game, off of a 25-yard free kick, in the 34th minute giving the Lady Toppers a three-goal advantage.

The second half provided a flurry of goals, as UTEP’s Simmons got the Miners on the score sheet early in the second half. She tucked away a rebounding shot from Vic Bohdan, marking her first goal of the season.

The Miners opted to make a rare goalkeeper change putting sophomore Caley Leask in for senior Alyssa Palacios. Leask faced four shots from the toppers making two saves and allowing one goal.

WKU responded with a goal in the 56th minute. Gorham netted her second goal of the game, combining with Barnett again making the score 4-1.

Closing in on the final 20 minutes of regulation, the leading goal scorers for the Miners Vic Bohdan and Lauren Crenshaw cut the lead down to one. Bohdan notched her fifth goal of the season going one-on-one with WKU GK slipping the ball past her to the back of the net.

On what could be the goal of the year, Crenshaw lined up a 25-yard free kick and placed the ball perfectly over the GK in the final five minutes of regulation. UTEP couldn’t find the final goal to tie the game in regulation putting together five shots in the final half.

UTEP will be back in action on Thursday, Oct. 11 with a matchup against LA Tech in Ruston, La.

The UTEP women’s soccer team will travel east for a crucial conference match against WKU on Sunday at noon (MT) kick-off in Bowling Green, Ky.

“Sunday at WKU is a defining match for us,” UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said. “We let a few games slip away from us, so we must now play well on the road. WKU is a great side that is very well coached and very organized. They play extremely hard and will be tough to beat on their home field. We have had a great week of training and are excited for the match. I believe in this squad.”

Getting To Know WKU

WKU (2-7-2, 0-4) is looking for its first win in conference play. The Lady Toppers head into Sunday’s contest having dropped the last five games, including a 2-0 road loss to Vanderbilt.

Ambere Barnett and Olivia Stanley lead the team with three goals each on the season.

Series History Vs. WKU

The Miners have faced the Lady Toppers twice in the program’s history, with the Miners leading the series 1-0-1.

The last meeting came in 2015, with both teams playing to a draw 1-1 (2ot), at University Field. Carleigh Simmons, Payton Ross and Alyssa Palacios are the only current Miners to have faced WKU in their careers.

Miners In Conference USA

UTEP holds an all-time conference record of 66-58-11. The Miners have dropped their two previous games and are in 10th place in league standings.

The top eight teams during the regular season, as determined by points, will advance to the tournament.

Strong Across The Board

UTEP has demonstrated that it works as a team with 10 players accounting for 22 goals. Lauren Crenshaw leads the team with five goals on the season.

Vic Bohdan follows with four, Anna Jimmerson has netted three, April Pate, Jojo Ngongo and Natalie Valentine all have scored two, while Danielle Carreon, Cayla Payne, Jackie Soto and Hayley Vaughan have contributed to the offensive success.

The Game Plan

The Miners have started their matches defensively strong. They have given up only six goals in the first-half action this year. UTEP has put its attack to the test in the second half, scoring the majority of its goals after the break (12 of 22).

Palacios & The Career Rankings

Senior GK Alyssa Palacios has compiled some staggering numbers during her career in the Sun City. The result has been her stamping her name throughout the UTEP career record book.

The Texas native hold the most career shutouts in program history (21), surpassing Sarah Dilling (2011-14). She enters Sunday’s match currently ranked second in saves (396), save percentage (0.832), third in GK wins (37), GK games started (71), saves per game (5.57), GK minutes played (6,553:25), fourth in GK matches played (71), and fifth for goals against average (1.10).

The Basic Facts

UTEP is in its 23^rd season as a program, boasting an all-time record of 253-171-31. The Miners are under the direction of 18th-year head coach Kevin Cross who sports a mark of 211-123-23 in that time frame. He is assisted by two former Miners (Heather Clark and Jessie Pettit).

A Maturing Roster

In 2017 20 of the 27 members of the squad were underclassmen, so it’s only natural that this year’s squad has a bit more experience. In 2018, the Orange and Blue feature a unit where 14 o the 23 individuals are either freshman (seven) or sophomores (seven).

There are four juniors and five seniors who are providing leadership for the still relatively young group.

The UTEP women’s soccer team was one of twelve team that earned the United Soccer Coaches’ Team Academic Award, announced on Thursday.

Teams honored are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program with a composite grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster.

The award recognizes exemplary performances in the classroom during the 2017-18 academic year. 

This is marks the 10th United Soccer Coaches’ Team Academic Award for the Miners since 2004.

Women’s Team Academic Award  (School, GPA)

Charlotte, 3.59

Louisiana Tech, 3.35

Marshall, 3.38

Rice, 3.77

Southern Miss, 3.23

UTEP, 3.35

WKU, 3.53

Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Palacios registered eight saves, including turning away a penalty kick, but UTEP’s offense couldn’t get on track in a 3-0 setback to Middle Tennessee on Sunday night.

Peyton DePriest notched a hat trick (28’, 77’ and 80’) to lead the Blue Raiders (7-2-1, 2-0-1) attack. Lauren Crenshaw tallied a team-leading three shots for the Miners (6-6-1, 1-3-0). UTEP notched 27 total shots, with 10 coming in the second half of the game.

Palacios registered eight saves on the night, putting her at a total of 350 saves in her career. She trails Amanda Smith (1996-99), who holds the all-time program record in saves with 438.

The Miners took their chances early in the first half. Anna Jimmerson was able to connect on a header towards goal, putting the ball just wide in the 12th minute. Nicole Pugsley added to the attack with a shot at MT’s goal, forcing Celeste Barnard to make a save in the 23rd minute.

DePriest opened up the score sheet for the Blue Raiders after receiving a ball played through the defense from Hannah Tillett. She controlled the ball inside the box and finished the play with a ball past Palacios.

The Miner defense stood tough in the final 15 minutes of the opening half, fighting off a flurry of attacks from the Blue Raiders offense. A crucial save came in the 45th minute, when MT’s Amber Hoot put a shot on goal, but Palacios made a finger-tip save.

UTEP opened the second half with a strong offensive push getting a shot from April Pate in the 50th minute that went just over the cross bar.

DePriest found her second goal of the game when she connected with Tillett, giving the Blue Raiders a 2-0 lead. She completed her hat trick shortly after on a ball played from Casey Riemer to seal the game for MT.

The Orange and Blue will open a three-game road trip, starting with a match at WKU on Sunday, Oct. 7 set for 12 p.m. MT.

Lauren Crenshaw tallied her team-leading fifth goal of the year but UAB received goals from Jamiera Lunsford (21’) and Caroline Kehrer (77’) as the Blazers edged out the Miners, 2-1, at University Field on Thursday night.

“Conference games are decided on one or two plays and we didn’t complete our chances today,” UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said. “We made some mistakes and gave up a few chances that we need to clean up. We need to be more focused and have every player dialed in for Sunday’s game.”

UTEP (6-5-1, 1-2) trailed early in the first half. UAB (5-4-1, 1-1) worked the ball up the field where Lunsford shot the ball and it slipped right under senior GK Alyssa Palacios. The Blazers also earned a total of 12 corner kicks, with seven coming in the opening half.

Crenshaw put the Miners on the board in the 37th minute. In a flurry of activity off a free kick, Jodie Enokson took a shot at the goal that was blocked by a defender. Crenshaw was right behind her to put it away.

Palacios registered four saves for the Miners. She now sits at 396 total saves in her career. The Texas native trails Amanda Smith (1996-99) by 42 stops for the program standard.

The Miner defense started off the second half strong. On a UAB breakaway run, Carleigh Simmons sped down the flank to catch up to the forward. She managed to completely stop the attack and get the ball out.

On an almost glorious moment with 20 minutes left in the game, Crenshaw carried the ball up the field, where she connected with Pate for a one-two pass. Crenshaw sped past the defender and dragged the goalkeeper off her line and took her one-on-one. With an open net, Crenshaw took the shot but was denied by the left post.

Both teams battled through a physical match with a yellow card issued to UTEP’s Crenshaw (9’) and UAB’s Lunsford (69’). The Blazers got their second goal of the match from a corner kick. The ball sailed into the box where Kehrer drove the ball into the net with a header.

The Orange and Blue will return to the pitch on Sunday night at 6 p.m. at University Field to face Middle Tennessee in a crucial Conference USA matchup. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids and may be purchased by calling 915-747-523.

The UTEP Soccer (6-4-1) team beat rival team NM State Aggies (1-9) 4-1 to win the Battle of I-10 Sunday night at University Field.

Natalie Valentine, Anna Jimmerson, Vic Bohdan and Hayley Vaughan all contributed to Sunday night’s win with a goal each. The sole goal for the Aggies came from a penalty kick taken by Katie Martinez.

“It was good response after a tough loss on Thursday,” said UTEP head coach Kevin Cross. “This was a big win for us especially for it being a rivalry game. The crowd was phenomenal, the American Outlaws came out banging their drums giving the team motivation tonight.”

The Miners wasted no time with Valentine scoring the 10th-fastest goal in program history at the 1:58 minute mark.

The first half was action packed with both teams playing hard and strong. The Miners outshot the Aggies 11-9, but it was a battle between the teams with a total of 14 fouls in the first half. The Miner defense blocked many of the shots taken by NM State.

Bohdan scored her fourth goal (39’) of the season by dribbling past the defenders into the box and putting the ball away.

Shortly after, a hand ball was called inside the Miner box that resulted in a penalty kick for the Aggies.

The third goal for the Miners came just seconds before the end of the first half. Jojo Ngongo chased a ball to the end line. She then passed it back into the box for Vaughan (45’) to tap it into the goal.

The second half was another hard-fought half. The Miners took 10 shots to the Aggies’ six. The UTEP defense was not letting anything get by them. In the 75th minute, Kori Lewis chased down an Aggie forward and made a big tackle inside the box.

Late into the second half, in the 80th minute there was a thrilling moment when Valentine put the ball in the back of the net and the crowd went wild. Unfortunately, the goal was disallowed when the play was called offside. Moments later she was hungry to get that goal back but shot the ball over the net.

Jimmerson put the icing on the cake with a goal of her own in the 88th minute. A UTEP defender cleared the ball over the Aggie defense for Jimmerson to chase down and put it past the keeper.
The Orange and Blue will continue Conference USA play at home against UAB on Thursday night at 7 p.m. at University Field. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids and may be purchased by calling 915-747-5234.

UTEP sophomore Vic Bohdan (63′) got on the score sheet but Marshall was able to slip past the Miners, 2-1, in double overtime on Thursday night at University Field.

The UTEP soccer team will open its second slate of four straight home games this season, beginning on Thursday against Marshall at 7 p.m. MT and continuing vs. NM State in the FirstLight Federal Credit Union Battle of I-10 at 6 p.m. MT on Sunday.

Thursday will feature “Fiesta Night”, with kids 12 & under gettin in free and face painters for the kids. Bam bam sticks will be given out to the first 200 fans and a performance from the Mariachi Real de El Paso.

Sunday will feature a White Out promotion, fans wearing white get $2 tickets. FirstLight Federal Credit Union fans will be given out to the first 200 in attendance.

“This is a huge weekend for UTEP soccer,” UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said. “We need the El Paso soccer community and UTEP to come out and support us. We play our first Conference USA home game on Thursday night versus Marshall after starting league play with a tough road win. Marshall is a great soccer team that is always well coached. They have a great attack and a strong defense so our entire team will have to be playing well. We are looking forward to Anji Thornton’s professional mariachi band and the UTEP men’s club soccer team being in attendance on Thursday for Fiesta Night. On Sunday we play our rivalry game against a very good NM State team that fights for everything. They hustle for every ball and do not quit. Sunday should be a fun night as well as we will have the American Outlaws El Paso in attendance as well as the El Paso USL. This is a big weekend for UTEP soccer and we urge our fans to come out and support us!”

Series History vs. Marshall
UTEP has faced the Thundering Herd 11 times over the program’s history, compiling a record of 6-3-2. The last meeting came in 2017 with the Miners earning a 2-0 home victory.

Getting To Know Marshall
Marshall (2-4-2) opened league play with a 2-1, home loss to Florida Atlantic. The Thundering Herd has tallied 10 goals on the season, with sister duo Farah and Marah Abu-tayeh leading the team with three goals each.

Series History vs. NM State
The Miners look to continue their dominance over I-10 rivals NM State. UTEP leads the series 6-1. The Aggies upended the Miners for the first time in 2017 with a 2-1 victory in double overtime, breaking a six-game losing streak.

Getting To Know NM State
The Aggies are coming off a 1-0 loss against New Mexico, putting them 1-7 on the season. NM State has netted 11 goals on the season. Aileen Galicia leads the team with four goals and Alexa Barrera accounting for four assists.

Miners In Conference USA
UTEP holds an all-time conference record of 66-55-11 and was one of four teams winning its opening game (Southern Miss, UAB and Florida Atlantic). The Miners finished the non-conference schedule with a record of 4-3-1, ranking seventh overall.

Clutch Crenshaw
Lauren Crenshaw jump-started her junior season with four goals, the most in a single season in her career. The Arizona native leads the team in goals and points (nine). Three of her goals have come from the penalty spot, making her the first Miner in program history to convert three PKs in a season.

Strong Across The Board
UTEP has demonstrated that it works as a team with nine players accounting for 15 goals. Lauren Crenshaw leads with four goals, April Pate, Vic Bohdan, Jojo Ngongo and Anna Jimmerson all have netted two, while Danielle Carreon, Cayla Payne, Jackie Soto and Natalie Valentine have contributed to the offensive success.

Home Field Advantage
The Miners have been historically tough to beat when playing at University Field, boasting an overall record of 129-38-10 since 2002. UTEP has outscored the opponents 13-6 and registered a 4-1 record at home this season.

The Game Plan
The Miners have started their matches defensively strong. They have given up only three goals in first-half action this year. UTEP has put its attack to the test in the second half scoring the majority of its goals after the break (11 of 16).

Palacios & The Career Rankings
Senior GK Alyssa Palacios has compiled some staggering numbers during her career in the Sun City. The result has been her stamping her name throughout the UTEP career record book. The Texas native holds the most career shutout in program history (21), surpassing Sarah Dilling (2011-14).

She enters Thursday’s match currently second on saves (380), save percentage (0.835), third in GK wins (36), GK games started (68), saves per game (5.58), GK minutes played (6,266:58), fourth in GK matches played (68), and fifth for goals against average (1.08).

The Basic Facts
UTEP is in its 23rd season as a program, boasting an all-time record of 252-170-31. The Miners are under the direction of 18th-year head coach Kevin Cross who sports a mark of 210-122-23 in that time frame. He is assisted by two former Miners (Heather Clark and Jessie Pettit).

A Maturing Roster
In 2017 20 of the 27 members of the squad were underclassmen, so it’s only natural that his year’s squad has a bit more experience. In 2018, the Orange and Blue feature a unit where 14 of the 23 individuals are either freshman (seven) or sophomores (seven). There are four juniors and five seniors who are providing leadership for the still relatively young group.

MIAMI, Fl. – The UTEP soccer team opened league play with a dominating 2-0 win at FIU with goals from Lauren Crenshaw (3′) and Jojo Ngongo (40′) on Sunday afternoon.

“I am really proud of UTEP soccer getting a shutout on the road which is very tough to do in C-USA,” head coach Kevin Cross said. “FIU has a lot of athleticism and dangerous players with international experience, so getting a shutout was great. We did a great job playing as a team today. This young group learned a lot this week. We need El Paso’s support on Thursday when we play a tough Marshall team at home.”

The Miners dominated possession of the ball early in the first half, registering three corner kicks in the opening three minutes of the game. Nicole Pugsley nearly found the back of the net off a header that was put just wide of the post.

On the fourth corner of the game for UTEP, Carleigh Simmons played the ball into the box where Crenshaw connected from point-blank range to give the Miners an early lead. The junior leads the team with four goals on the season.

FIU registered four shots in the opening half, forcing senior GK Alyssa Palacios to make one save in the 20th minute. Palacios recorded two saves on the day to become the school record holder in shutouts (21). She passes Sarah Dilling (2011-14) with 10 games remaining in the 2018 regular season.

The Miners kept the momentum after the first goal, attempting seven shots at goal and earning six corner kicks. With five minutes before the break, sophomore Vic Bohdan played a well-placed pass to Ngongo. The freshman scored a sensational goal, her second of the season.

UTEP added nine more shots at goal in the second half, totaling 16 in the game. The Miners came inches away from extending their lead when Crenshaw took a crack at goal, forcing FIU’s Christin Velazquez to make a fingertip save in the 60th minute.

In the 75th minute, Ngongo tried to double her tally in the game with a shot that she put over the crossbar from just outside the penalty area. With 10 minutes left in regulation, Bohdan sent her second shot of the game wide of the post.

The Miners will host a four-game homestand starting on Thursday, Sept. 20, against Marshall at 7 p.m. MT, before turning their attention to 2018 FirstLight Federal Credit Union Battle of I-10 against NM State on Sunday, Sept. 23. at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids and may be purchased by calling (915) 747-5234.

OGDEN, Utah – Senor goalkeeper Alyssa Palacios registered her second shutout of the season as the Miners played to a scoreless draw at Weber State in Ogden, Utah, on Sunday afternoon.

“Today was a tough match,” UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said. “We had less rest than Weber State (from playing on the road this week). We had a couple of excellent chances in the first half that we did not put away, and then some really good corners at the end of regulation. Congratulations to our team defense, back line and keeper for getting the shutout. Today was good preparation for starting Conference USA play next weekend on the road.”

Palacios is now tied for the most career shutouts at UTEP with Sarah Dilling (2011-14) and needs just one more shutout to sit atop of the helm alone.

The Miners opened the first half with four shots, forcing Wildcat keeper Nikki Pittman to make one save. Lauren Crenshaw recorded two shots. Cayla Payne and Natalie Valentine both got a look at goal.

In the 36th minute, Palacios made a crucial save to keep the score in a deadlock. UTEP then had a good chance on the counter attack. Defender Payton Ross cleared the ball up the field, which was controlled by Valentine with a great first touch. She blew past the back defender and went one-on-one against Pittman, putting the ball just wide of the goal. That was the closest either team came to scoring in the opening half.

The Miners opened up the second half with a defensive stand. Palacios made her second save of the game in the 48th minute when a shot by the Wildcats deflected off a UTEP defender and was smothered by Palacios. The senior GK made four total saves, moving her up to 378 in her career.

Crenshaw led the Miners with three shots (two on target). Her best opportunity to find the back of the net was off a free kick in the 62nd minute. Crenshaw took the free kick from 30-yards out, just missing the crossbar.

The Miners continued to commit numbers forward in the final 10 minutes of regulation, earning three consecutive corner kicks. Nicole Pugsley used her length to her advantage, connecting on a header that put the ball wide of the net.

Neither team could break the deadlock in overtime. UTEP’s Danielle Carreon registered the only shot of the overtime period, coming in the 107th minute.

The Miners will begin league play on Sunday, Sept. 16, when the team travels to Miami, Fla., to face off against FIU.

ALBUQUERQUE – Sophomore April Pate (72’) scored the lone goal for the Miners as the UTEP soccer team fell short at New Mexico, 2-1, Friday night in Albuquerque, N.M.

New Mexico (3-3-0) received two early goals from Cami Floth (9’) and Alexa Kirton (13’) to slip past the Miners (4-3-0).

UTEP fought against a strong head wind in the first half and registered five shots, forcing Malia Vanisi to make two saves. The Lobos scored early in the game with a cross put into the penalty box that was finished by Floth. The second goal came off a corner kick and was headed home by Kirton.

The first half proved to be a physical one with a combined 19 fouls. Junior Lauren Crenshaw earned two free kicks for the Miners. In the 24th minute, Carleigh Simmons took a free kick 30-yards away from goal, lofting the ball into the penalty box. Nicole Pugsley connected on a header, putting the ball just wide of the goal.

Alyssa Palacios registered four saves in the first half and was only called upon once in the second stanza. Her five saves in the game move her up to 32 on the season. Palacios (374) also inched closer to reaching Amanda Smith (438) in all-time saves, needing just 64 saves this season to tie the program career standard.

The Miners took a total of six shots in the second half, putting pressure on the Lobo defense. UTEP found a spark on the counter with a ball played forward by newcomer Jojo Ngongo to the feet of Pate. The sophomore controlled the ball on her first touch, hitting the ball with a clinical left foot bypassing Vanisi to the goal.

The Orange and Blue continued to press the attack, earning a corner kick in the 82nd minute. Pate put the ball into the box and a scramble ensued in front of the net, but the Lobos’ defense was able to clear the ball.

The Miners will travel to Ogden, Utah, next to face Weber State on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT.

The UTEP soccer team heads to the states of New Mexico and Utah looking to keep its two-game winning streak alive against the New Mexico Lobos (7:30 p.m. MT Friday) and the Weber State Wildcats (1 p.m. MT Sunday).

“We have a challenging road trip ahead of us,” head coach Kevin Cross said. “We play two very good teams in New Mexico and Weber State. New Mexico is very athletic and skilled and they fight for every single ball. Games against Weber State are also always going to be a battle. Our team will have to put in a complete team effort for 90 minutes to get positive results on the road. We look forward to the challenge.”

These are the last two matches before the Miners start Conference USA play.

Getting to Know New Mexico
University of New Mexico is 2-3 in the 2018 season. The Lobos kicked off their season with a fresh squad after eight starters from the previous season graduated. Freshman forward Alesia Garcia leads the team with three goals, scoring the winning goals for two consecutive games. The Lobos have

Series History vs. New Mexico
The Orange and Blue lead the series 5-4-1. The Miners are looking to redeem themselves after last year’s loss (1-0) in overtime (8/27/17).

Getting to Know Weber State
Weber State is 0-2-1 in the season. The Wildcats are looking to score their first goal of the campaign. Weber State has also had some glitches on the year with two games being postponed due to inclement weather, one resulting in a reschedule and the other in a cancellation.

Series History vs. Weber State
UTEP leads the series 6-4 after winning their last encounter 3-0 at home (9/6/15).

Clutch Crenshaw
Lauren Crenshaw’s game winning penalty kick against Norther Illinois makes her 3-3 in PK’s this season. She is the first Miner in program history to make three penalty kicks in a year. With that goal Crenshaw now leads the team in goals for the season.

Strong Across The Board
UTEP has demonstrated that it works as a team with nine players accounting for 13 goals. Vic Bohdan leads the team with two goals, while Danielle Carreon, Lauren Crenshaw, Anna Jimmerson, Jojo Ngongo, April Pate, Cayla Payne, Jackie Soto and Natalie Valentine have contributed to the offensive success.

Close Calls
Since the 6-1 home opener against Lubbock Christian (8/17/18), the Miners have faced closer calls with all five (3-2-0) matches since decided by one goal. UTEP knocked off Northern Illinois in double overtime 1-0 (9/2/18) and both Grand Canyon (2-1, 8/31/18) and Idaho State (2-1, 8/24/18), while falling short at Abilene Christian (1-0, 2OT, 8/19/18) and vs. UTRGV (3-2, 8/26/18).

The Game Plan
The Miners have started their matches defensively strong. They have given up only one goal in first-half action this year. UTEP has put its attack to the test in the second half scoring the majority of its goals after the break (nine of 13).

Palacios & The Career Rankings
Senior GK Alyssa Palacios has compiled some staggering numbers during her career in the Sun City. The result has been her stamping her name throughout the UTEP career record book. She enters Friday’s match currently second for saves (369), save percentage (.835), third in shutouts (19), third in GK wins (35), GK games started (65), saves per game (5.71), GK minutes played (5,976:58), fourth for saves per game (5.68) and in GK matches played (65) and fifth for goals against average (1.10).

Palacios needs two shutouts to break Sarah Dilling’s (2011-14) school standard (20) while she is 70 saves shy of besting the program record (438) held by Amanda Smith (1996-99).

The Basic Facts
UTEP is in its 23rd season as a program, boasting an all-time record of 251-169-30. The Miners are under the direction of 18th-year head coach Kevin Cross who sports a mark of 209-121-23 in that time frame. He is assisted by two former Miners (Heather Clark and Jessie Pettit).

A Unique Blend
UTEP’s roster of 23 for 2018 has a unique blend with 12 native Texans, seven individuals hailing from Canada and a quarter that call Arizona home.

A Maturing Roster
In 2017 20 of the 27 members of the squad were underclassmen, so it’s only natural that this year’s squad has a bit more experience. In 2018, the Orange and Blue feature a unit where 14 of the 23 individuals are either freshmen (seven) or sophomores (seven). There are four juniors and five seniors who are providing leadership for the still relatively young group.

UTEP soccer junior Lauren Crenshaw was named the Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week for her performance over the weekend against Grand Canyon and Northern Illinois.

Crenshaw had one of the best performances of the week netting two goals and an assist over the weekend.

Against Grand Canyon, Crenshaw displayed her dribbling skills getting past a Lope defender and was taken down in the penalty box. She stepped up to take the kick and buried the ball in the back of the net.

The Arizona native registered her first assist of the season off of a throw in, which was controlled by Anna Jimmerson and scored the game winning goal.

The junior displayed her leadership skills with a brilliant performance against a tough Northern Illinois squad.

Early in second overtime, the Miners were awarded its third penalty of the season as Crenshaw once again stepped up to the spot and scored the golden goal.

Crenshaw is the first Miner in program history to score from the penalty spot three times in a single season. She is three-for-three on penalty kicks for her career. Crenshaw is tied for second in the league with three goals through five games in C-USA behind Miah Zuazua (Southern Miss, six).

The Orange and Blue will travel to New Mexico on Friday (7 p.m. MT) and Weber State on Sunday (1 p.m.).

The UTEP soccer team won 1-0 in double overtime behind a penalty kick goal from Lauren Crenshaw (102’) against the Northern Illinois University Huskies on Sunday evening at University Field.

The Miners (4-2-0) took 25 shots-to NIU’s 14- for 101 minutes to no avail but ended the match with Crenshaw’s golden goal that bested the Huskies’ (0-5-0) goalkeeper.

Of the 25 shots taken by the Miners, 11 were on target. Vic Bohdan, Crenshaw and April Pate all recorded four shots. Crenshaw now has a team-leading three goals, each of which have come from a penalty kick. She is the first Miner in program history to put away three penalty kick chances in a single season, having achieved the feat in just six appearances this year.

Alyssa Palacios notched her first shutout of the season and 19th of her career with five saves. She is now two shutouts shy of becoming the program’s all-time career leader in the category.

“We picked it up and got plenty of shots (25),” UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said. “Their goalkeeper had one of the best [goalkeeper] efforts that I’ve seen. We finally got the goal at the end.”

The Miners had a slow start the first half of the match, with the Huskies dominating possession of the ball. The game was scoreless at halftime with both teams taking two shots on goal.

UTEP kicked off the second half with high intensity, attempting 14 shots and seven shots on goal. The Miners put the heat on the Huskies’ goalkeeper (Megan Donnally) firing shot after shot.

A yellow card was given to NIU’s Kylee Hermeyer, which resulted in a free kick just outside the box for the Miners. Seconds after the Huskies’ goalkeeper punched out the free kick, Pate nailed the ball forcing the keeper to make a back-arching save.

The game went into overtime after 90 minutes of scoreless action. Both teams came out strong in the overtime with each side having a partial breakaway. The efforts were not enough, forcing the game to go into a second overtime.

In the 102nd minute of the game a foul was committed by NIU defender Kelsey Chope, which was originally signaled to be just outside the box. After a consultation with the linesman, the center official awarded UTEP the penalty kick. Crenshaw ended the game for the Miners by putting the ball past the goalkeeper.

The Orange and Blue will hit the road to face New Mexico in Albuquerque at 7:30 p.m. MT Friday.

Here's the game winner from Lauren Crenshaw keeping her cool and getting the Miners the victory in double overtime!!#UTEPSoccer ⛏️ pic.twitter.com/Z013tCgwIT

— UTEPSoccer (@UTEPSoccer) September 3, 2018

The UTEP soccer team will conclude its four-game homestand with matchups against Grand Canyon on Friday at 7 p.m. MT and on Sunday vs. Northern Illinois at 6 p.m.

“We are very excited to be playing at home this weekend with football also playing and Minerpalooza going on,” UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said.

“It should be a very exciting UTEP weekend! We start off on Friday night with Grand Canyon for Military Appreciation Night! UTEP Soccer is very appreciative of our Military and Fort Bliss. Grand Canyon is one of the best supported women’s soccer programs in the country. They are very well coached and have a very good attack. We need our fans to come out and support UTEP Soccer! On Sunday we get the opportunity of playing Northern Illinois, which also has a good program.”

UTEP will boast a “Military Appreciation Night” on Friday; all military personnel will receive $2 tickets. Sunday will showcase “Go Nuts For Donuts.” The first 150 fans in attendance will receive free donuts.

“We are working very hard this week to clean up our mistakes, and to get the squad playing its best soccer,” Cross said. “We can’t wait to get back out on the field on Friday night!”

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids. For more information about the team day program call the UTEP marketing department at (915) 747-6065.

Getting To Know GCU

GCU has started its season with an overall record of 1-3. The Lopes came up short in overtime against #21 Washington State (1-0, 8/19/18). GCU has returner McKenzie Cook, who led the team with five goals, five assists and 80 shots during the 2017 season. She has already registered 15 shots this year but has yet to put one in the back of the net. Goalkeeper Abby Burton has 28 saves and one shutout so far.

Series History Vs. GCU

The Miners lead the series against the Lopes, 2-0. The Orange and Blue won the first matchup, 2-1, at home (9/11/2015) and the second match on the road, 3-2 (8/28/16).

Getting to Know Northern Illinois

Northern Illinois first-year head coach Julie Colhoff has started the season with an overall 0-3 record. The Huskies have been outscored 12-0 in those matches, including an 8-0 loss in their matchup at Illinois (8/26/18). Haley Hoppe leads the team with five shots on goal while Natalie Yass has three shots on target. Megan Donnally has registered 25 saves for the Huskies.

Series History Vs. Northern Illinois: 

This will be the first meeting between the Miners and the Huskies.

Goals Galore

Going into the weekend, the Miners have scored 10 goals in four games. This is the first time since 2014 that the Orange and Blue have hit double digits for goals in just four contests. A chunk of those tallies came from the home opener against Lubbock Christian (6-1, 8/17/18). That win resulted in the most goals scored in a season opener since a 6-1 victory over Sam Houston State in 2007 (8/31).

Strong Across The Board

UTEP has demonstrated that it works as a team with nine players accounting for 10 goals. Vic Bohdan leads the team with two goals, while Danielle Carreon, Lauren Crenshaw, Anna Jimmerson, Jojo Ngongo, April Pate, Cayla Payne, Jackie Soto and Natalie Valentine have contributed to the offensive success.

Close Calls

Since the 6-1 home opener against Lubbock Christian (8/17/18), the Miners have faced closer calls with the last three matches being decided by one goal. UTEP knocked off Idaho State 2-1 (8/24/18), while falling short at Abilene Christian (1-0, 2OT, 8/19/18) and vs. UTRGV (3-2, 8/26/18).

The Game Plan

The Miners have started their matches defensively strong. They have yet to concede a goal in the first half. They put their attack to the test in the second half scoring the majority of their goals after the break (eight of 10).

Palacios & The Career Rankings
Senior GK Alyssa Palacios has compiled some staggering numbers during her career in the Sun City. The result has been her stamping her name throughout the UTEP career record book. She enters Friday’s match currently second for saves (360), save percentage (.833), third in shutouts (18), GK games started (63), saves per game (5.71), GK minutes played (5,785:40) and in GK matches played (63) and fifth for goals against average (1.12).

Palacios needs three shutouts to break Sarah Dilling’s (2011-14) school standard (20) while she is 79 saves shy of besting the program record (438) held by Amanda Smith (1996-99).

The Basic Facts
UTEP is in its 23rd season as a program, boasting an all-time record of 249-169-30. The Miners are under the direction of 18th-year head coach Kevin Cross who sports a mark of 207-121-23 in that time frame. He is assisted by two former Miners (Heather Clark and Jessie Pettit).

A Unique Blend
UTEP’s roster of 23 for 2018 has a unique blend with 12 native Texans, seven individuals hailing from Canada and a quarter that call Arizona home.

A Maturing Roster
In 2017 20 of the 27 members of the squad were underclassmen, so it’s only natural that this year’s squad has a bit more experience. In 2018 the Orange and Blue feature a unit where 14 of the 23 individuals are either freshmen (seven) or sophomores (seven). There are four juniors and five seniors who are providing leadership for the still relatively young group.