Match Four

NM State (0-2-1, 0-0 WAC) vs. UTEP (1-3-0, 0-0 CUSA)

Thursday, Sep. 1 | 7:00 p.m. MT | NM State Soccer Complex | Las Cruces, N.M.

Watch | Live Stats | Tickets

Las Cruces, N.M. - There's no place like home, and there is no better place to be this week than the NM State Soccer complex when NM State women's soccer takes on UTEP in the Battle of I-10. Kick-off is set for 7:00 p.m. at the NM State Soccer Complex.

This will be the Aggies first home match this season after opening the year with three consecutive road games. During that road stretch, the Aggies went 0-2-1 falling to power-five opponents Oregon and Texas A&M. Although they weren't able to walk away with a win, they were fortunate enough to come back home with a tie.

Despite not achieving the success they would have hoped for this trip, there was a lot of positive notes that can be looked upon as they now return home for a five game home stretch where they will face the likes of UTEP, Portland State, Nevada, Utah Valley and Seattle U.

This will be the 12th time these two programs have squared off in this young rivalry. The first match between the two was on August 21, 2009; NM State soccer's inaugural season. UTEP took that match by a final score of 1-0. Historically, the Miners have dominated the rivalry winning 10 out of 11 meetings. The Aggies' lone win came on August 18, 2017 when the Aggies took a 2-1 victory in double overtime.

Last year's match did not disappoint either. That match also found itself in overtime after both teams were tied at one after regulation ended. Not long after OT began, Jackie Soto, of UTEP, scored her second goal of the game in the 95' minute. This was after she scored the game tying goal in the 73' minute, handing the Aggies the crushing 2-1 defeat.

This time around, things feel a little different. The Aggies are coming of an impressive performance at Texas A&M which saw a record capacity crowd of 6,086 fans in attendance. Up until that point, Texas A&M had been outscoring opponents 14-0. Not even #25 ranked Clemson could score a goal on the Aggies (A&M). But NM State was able to not only score a goal on them, but also hold them to just two scores.

With this program being established for over a decade now, and the University announcing it's move to Conference USA next year - the same conference the Miners are in. You can expect to see these two programs face off more going forward, and with a-little-bit more intensity now with conference implications on the line.

Follow Along | Watch | Live Stats | Tickets

Aggie Nation can follow along with all the action thanks to live stats from StatBroadcast. Subsequently, fans can also stream the action through WAC International - formally known as WAC Digital Network. To stream, you will need to create a free account through WAC International, no subscription is needed.

You can also follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@NMStateWSOC) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women's Soccer) where we will keep you updated on all the game coverage.

Last Time Out | NM State 1, at Texas A&M 2 | Saturday, August 27, 2022 | Box Score

• NM State was out shot by Texas A&M 21-7 last week.
• Bianca Chacon scored her first goal of the season, third of her career. Thalia Chaverria was credited on the assist, the first of her career for the sophomore defender out of Bakersfield, Calif.
• Makenna Gottschalk was fantastic once again. She recorded five saves in the match, which gives her 15 saves on the year with  a 0.714 save percentage.
• 6,086 was the official attendance for last weekends match in College Station. This was the third largest crowd for a soccer match in Texas A&M history, and the 11th largest crowd in NCAA women's soccer history for a regular season match.

Scouting the Miners | 1-3-0, 0-0-0 CUSA | Roster | Schedule | Statistics

• UTEP comes into Las Cruces with a 1-3 overall record. The Miners are coming off the first win of their season after defeating UNLV 1-0.
• Prior to their victory in Las Vegas, the Miners were coming off three consecutive losses after losing to UC Davis, Abilene Christian, and Southern Utah.
• During that stretch, the Miners were outscored 9-1 in goals and 6-1 in assists.
• Opponents have a .460 shots on goal percentage and are averaging 15.8 shots per game to UTEPs 7.3 shots per game.

Next Up

Following Thursday's match with UTEP, the Aggies will remain at home as they welcome Portland State Saturday night at 7 p.m. That will be the second of five straight home matches scheduled over the next few weeks before hitting the road for the first conference road trip of the season on September 23 to take on UTRGV.

For complete coverage of New Mexico State women's soccer, follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@NMStateWSOC) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women's Soccer).

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