EL PASO, TEXAS – On Saturday night, NM State made the trek down I-10 for its third and final showdown with rival UTEP as conference foes. While UTEP was playing for pride, the Aggies were in search of a win to keep hope alive for the 2025 Conference USA Championship in Lynchburg, Va. Rob Baarts' squad competed hard, but ultimately played to a 0-0 draw with the Miners, dropping the Aggies' league record to 1-3-4.
 
The intensity that would befall the match reared its head early, with Kennedy Herrera recording a yellow card just 73 seconds into the contest. Coming into the match ranked fourth in the conference in shots per game at 13.3 per contest, UTEP kept the pressure on Aggie keeper Valerie Guha – peppering seven shots and forcing five saves by the redshirt junior.
 
Fifth-year midfielder and first-year Aggie Amaya Simoni-Walters posted the lone recorded NM State shot in the first half, forcing a save by Miner keeper Alaina Gilbert in the 27^th minute.
 
The best scoring chance for either team came in the 39^th minute, when a crowd of players jostled for the ball around the six-yard box on the UTEP end of the pitch, finding the feet of the Crimson & White, flashing into the back of the net. However, an offside ruling negated the scoring chance.
 
At the half, the Aggies trailed the Miners in shots (7-1), shots on goal (5-1) and corner kicks (4-1).
 
Coming out of the break tied 0-0, NM State showed renewed vigor, finding multiple opportunities on the UTEP half of the field, collecting five shots (three on goal) and four corner kicks. The fourth and final corner came with less than 20 ticks on the clock, with players on both teams battling to keep the game scoreless. Ultimately, the 0-0 draw would mark the end of the 2025 season for both NM State and UTEP.
 
Finishing 1-3-4 in CUSA play, the Aggies failed to advance to the postseason tournament for the first time since joining in July 2023.

For complete coverage of NM State Soccer, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@NMStateWSOC), and like us on Facebook (NMStateWSOC).