The UTEP soccer team’s special season got another bump when the Miners rolled past Air Force Friday night, keeping the team unbeaten at home while moving to 8-1-3 and 2-1 in the Mountain West Conference.
The match showcased UTEP’s improved offense, the big difference in this breakthrough season. The 19 goals in 12 games puts the Miners in middle of the Mountain West, which is a big jump from a year ago, and their defense, which has always been stout in the Gibbs Keeton era, leads the league in fewest goals allowed.
"For us it's super special tonight because we knew that we had to bring our 'a' game, and we did just enough to win," UTEP head coach Gibbs Keeton said. "We felt really
good about so many different variables in the game, specifically our game closeout. To score multiple goals has been a quest for this team, and we needed it tonight. There's just a long list of things to be proud of for our Miners tonight."
Leading that charge is Zeta McDannels, who had the first goal in the win against Air Force and now has a Mountain West-leading seven goals on the season. The MWC defensive player of the week was Macey Williams, who had the winner against Air Force while playing a role in slowing the Mountain West’s most prolific offense in Air Force.
Next up is one of the nation’s longest road trips, to Hawaii, for a Sunday match. The team leaves on Thursday for the 3,300-mile trip.
UTEP’s Julian Dulait wins MWC honor
UTEP’s Julian Dulait became the golf program’s first Mountain West award winner when he was named the league’s freshman of the month for September.
He has a 71.9 average in the four tournaments that opened his career
Overall, Dulait played in four tournaments to open his collegiate career. The native of Overijse, Belgium, penciled in a 71.9 scoring average. Dulait's best finish was in his most recent tournament when he tied for 17th at the Mark Simpson-Colorado Invitational on Sept. 29-30. As a team UTEP finished 10th in the 17-team tournament, four shots behind eighth-place Nevada but ahead of Boise State, Air Force and Wyoming in an early preview of the MWC tournament.
Dulait and the Miners will wrap up the fall schedule at The Clerico, hosted by ORU, on Oct. 19-20 in Tulsa, Okla.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP Miners soccer heads to Hawaii riding surge of breakthrough season
