UTEP goalkeeper Emily Parrott recorded nine saves as the UTEP soccer team played to a scoreless draw with Utah Valley on Saturday afternoon in front of 45 fans at University Field in El Paso.
The Miners (1-2-1) recorded two shots on goal and a pair of corners against the Wolverines (1-1-1), but it was UTEP’s defense that stepped up to fight off 11 shots on goal and six corner kicks by Utah Valley. UTEP is now 6-4-1 all-time versus Utah Valley following the scoreless draw at home.
“It was a really gritty performance tonight from the team after coming off a rivalry game on Thursday and a quick turnaround to play a good Utah Valley team that was coming in fresh,” assistant coach Stewart Givens said. “I think we defended really, really hard and made it difficult for Utah Valley to break us down. Credit goes to Utah Valley because they are a very good team. They will be one of the best teams we play this year. We couldn’t have asked for more from the team in terms of effort, heart and grit. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t be a little bit cleaner on the ball and create a few more chances for ourselves, but I’ll take a gritty performance like that any day of the week.”
UTEP was stymied offensively in the first half, while Utah Valley started off the match on the attack. The Wolverines recorded 13 shots, including seven shots on goal, in the first half alone, but Parrott and the Miner defense stood tall to enter halftime scoreless.
In the second half, each team had just one shot on goal apiece, starting with Utah Valley’s Sadie Brockbank, who sent a ball into the bottom right corner that Parrott saved for her eighth save of the game.
The Miners fired their first shot on goal in the 72nd minute when Tessa Carlin sent a shot into the top corner, but UVU goalkeeper Isabel Jones-Dawe came through with the first of her two saves in the match.
Utah Valley had a pair of chances on corner kicks in the second half, but nothing came of it as both teams found themselves scoreless after 90 minutes on the pitch.
UTEP fought off two shots on goal by the Wolverines at the start of the first overtime period thanks to a save by Parrott and a clearance by the Miner defense. The Miners got off its second and final shot on goal of the game in the 100th minute when Michelle O’Driscoll sent a shot in low that was eventually cleared by UVU.
In the second overtime period, the Miner defense took one final stand by clearing away a low shot on goal in the bottom left corner by Brockbank before the final whistle blew.
UTEP will now hit the road to face Angelo State at 5:30 p.m. MT on Feb. 19. The Miners will then wrap up the weekend at Lubbock Christian at 1 p.m. MT on Feb. 21 before opening Conference USA play the following week.
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