Sept. 30, 2007

The UTEP soccer team dropped a heartbreaker at Sacramento State, 1-0, in overtime Sunday afternoon. The Hornets' Katie McCoy tapped in a rebound at the 94th minute for the game's lone tally.

The Miners (6-4-1) battled hard from the opening whistle but were unable to beat Sacramento State netminder Mandy Trojan. At the other end of the pitch, the Hornets (6-2-1) were denied time after time by senior netminder Jessica Salvi before finally breaking through in the extra period.

It was a physical contest, as the two teams were whistled for a combined 39 fouls. Additionally, four yellow cards were issued between the two squads. Defensively, the Miners deployed a well-conceived offside trap throughout the tilt. The strategy paid off, with eight Hornet offensive opportunities wiped out due to offside.

UTEP did not have luck on its side on Sunday, with freshman Lauren Hamson's chance in the 32nd minute clanking off the crossbar. The Miners had another great chance in the final seconds of regulation, but Tameka Sumter was turned away by Trojan.

Sumter was right in the mix of things at the onset of overtime, testing Trojan two minutes into the extra session. Once again, though, the sophomore's shot was snatched out of the air. Sacramento State then launched its own counter attack, eventually resulting in the match-winning tally.

UTEP started the match aggressive, firing from all angles in the opening minutes. Even though the shots were off target, the Miners remained determined.

Anoop Josan had a blast at the 28-minute mark blocked, and Hamson's attempt on the rebound whistled wide. Trojan made a brilliant save on another Hamson attempt at the 31st minute, which was followed by the header that snuck past Trojan but deflected off the cross bar.

In the final minutes of the first half, Sumter's well-struck shot was blocked before it could reach Trojan.

Jami Tullius vied for the tilt's initial tally eight minutes into the second half, but once again Trojan was in good position to make the save.

The Hornets responded by controlling the pace of play the next several minutes, but Salvi did her part to keep the match scoreless. She recorded two of her game-high six stops in the stretch.

The Miners will christen C-USA play on Friday by playing host to Tulsa at 7 p.m. It will be "Break The Attendance Night" for UTEP, which will take aim at bouncing back.