Abilene Christian
1-1-1, 0-0-0
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UTEP
2-0-2, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTEP | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Abilene Christian | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wildcat Soccer Finds First Draw of Season Against UTEP
8/23/2026 4:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
ABILENE — The Wildcats (1-1-1) played to a 0-0 draw with the University of Texas at El Paso (2-0-2) on Sunday at Elmer Gray Stadium. The Wildcats' defense held strong, with Bella Medrano making five key saves to secure the shutout.
The first half began with both teams actively seeking an advantage, but neither the Wildcats nor the Miners managed to find the net, leading to a scoreless half. Nia Leslie attacked with shots in the 8th and 16th minutes, but UTEP's goalkeeper made crucial saves to keep the game level.
The Miners had opportunities as well, with two players taking shots, though both efforts missed the target. The half concluded with a series of fouls disrupting the flow, including a yellow card issued to UTEP's Nyalah Reeves in the 35th minute.
The second half was marked by strong defensive performances from both the Wildcats and UTEP, resulting in a scoreless draw. Medrano was pivotal for Abilene Christian, making several crucial saves, including stops in the 55th and 72nd minutes. Addison Briscoe led the Wildcats' attempts on goal, with notable shots at the 59th and 68th minutes.
UTEP's offensive efforts were largely thwarted by Medrano, with a series of attempts saved, including a key save in the 73rd minute. Despite numerous corner kicks and shots from both sides, the match ended without either team finding the back of the net.
At the end of the game, the Wildcats led in total shots, shots on goal, corner kicks and in total possession, but were unable to find the back of the net. They outshot the Miners 14-9, however, UTEP's goalkeeper made six saves compared to Medrano's five.
Leslie led her team's offensive efforts by taking five shots, with two on target. Briscoe contributed to the attack with three shots, two of which were on goal. Mikayla Abrenica added a shot on goal, providing additional pressure on the opponent's defense.
"It's always a battle against UTEP, and it was good to see the fight from both sides," head coach Stephen Salas said. "We had some nice pressure and buildup play in the first half, though we need to be sharper and more urgent in the second. Still it's good to pick up points at home. We're eager to keep growing in our attacking third and building more consistency there. We outnumbered them in shots and corners by a fair margin, which shows the pressure we're applying, but at the end of the day it's about the scoreline."
UP NEXT
In their next game, the Wildcats will host the University of Houston on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m. CT at Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene.
"We've got two big home games coming up with Big 12 member Houston, then East Texas A&M," Salas said. "We've had three weeks of preseason compared to most teams' five, so we're staying patient while being proactive in every training session to keep building on our progress."
