The UTEP soccer team's unbeaten run to start its breakthrough 2026 season is over, but the Miners' good run of play isn't.
UTEP bounced back from its first loss of the year, a 2-1 setback at UNLV on Sept. 24 that marked the school's first-ever Mountain West Conference game, with a 1-0 win over San Jose State on Sept. 27 that ran their record to 7-1-3.
The Miners got the winner against San Jose State in the 30th minute on Valeria Agudelo's second goal of the year off an assist by Ashlyn Neireiter.
"We've been waiting since Sept. 3 to play at University Field, and it was incredible to do so," coach Gibbs Keeton said. "To have our
first Mountain West victory be at home is pretty cool too. We wanted one on the road, absolutely 100 percent, but to come back home and have a response, it's what we're looking for."
UTEP's seven wins marks their most in a season since 2019 when it went 10-7-3. The Miners have eight more games before the conference tournament, starting with a home match against Air Force on Friday, Oct. 2 at University Field.
Miners women's golf 9th at Texas Tech, led by freshman
The UTEP women's golf team got a big performance from freshman Camila Echavarri in her second collegiate tournament, as she finished 13th to lead the Miners to a top 10 team finish at Texas Tech's Red Raider Invitational on Sept. 23.
Echavarri shot a 7-over 223 in the three-round tournament when she had seven birdies. UTEP was ninth out of 12 teams after a 307-305-296−908.
UTEP is back in action Oct. 12 at New Mexico State.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP Miners soccer rebounds from first loss, bigger tests await
