Miners win Third-Annual Border Bash

   UTEP opponents have tried but failed to win in Miner territory in 2012. The Miners, 6-2 overall, remained undefeated at home on Sept. 7 and 9, after winning their fourth consecutive home game of the year and their 90th win at University Field since 2002.

Hosting their last home games until Oct. 5, the Miners controlled the tempo of the Third Annual Border Bash, dominating all the competition that stepped out on to their home field.

The Miners kicked off the tournament with an electric first game against Weber State.

Both teams brought aggression to the field, but it was the Miners who played with the winning combination of team communication and strong ball possession.

An essential player for the Miners was sophomore goal keeper, Sarah Dilling, who made four saves keeping Weber State from the score board, and helping UTEP secure the win.

“Weber State came out hard, but we were ready,” Dilling said. “Even though we kept putting away goals, they did not let up on their intensity. They kept pushing hard, which kept us on our toes, but we focused on keeping our game strong and in the end it all worked out.”

Despite lightning in the area forcing the game to end with 10:55 left in play, the Miners won the match 3-0.

In their last game of the Boarder Bash, the Miners faced off against Sam Houston State (SHSU), who defeated New Mexico State, 1-0 Sept. 7.

For the first 30 minutes of the game SHSU matched UTEP’s pressure, as the score stood at zero.

Not letting the Bearkats intimidate their game, the Miners made the first goal in the 36th minute, as junior midfielder Azia Nicholson assisted sophomore midfielder Mackenzie German in a cross back play, which fooled the SHSU goal keeper, giving German enough time to successfully make the shot.

“For this game we were focused on just getting those little details that win games,” Nicholson said. “Overall we had been working really hard in practice on communicating. We had had some mental breakdowns in the weekend before, so we were really working on that, so I think communication is what helped us out this weekend.”

The Miners ended the game with another win, beating SHSU 1-0.

Head Coach Kevin Cross attributed the team’s success to the players’ character and hard work in practice.

“We were not happy with our result last Sunday, so we challenged them in practice,” Cross said. “We worked the hardest we have ever worked this week. We challenged them mentally to play tough, and that is exactly what they did.”

UTEP will next face the Aggies at 4 p.m. Sept. 12 in Las Cruces, as the Miners renew the tradition of the I-10 rivalry with NM State. The Battle of the I-10 will be the last preseason game for UTEP, before they kick off Conference USA play with four back-to-back away games.

Audrey Westcott may be reached at prospector@utep.edu.