EL PASO, Texas (August 17, 2023) – NAU Soccer started off the regular season at UTEP with a 3-2 victory.
"We expected a dog fight, and I am so proud of how the team came out. We completely dominated the first half and just kept possession and complete control of the game in the first half," head coach
Alan Berrios said.
NAU had a quick start with
Maddie Shafer putting a shot on goal two and a half minutes into the match, forcing UTEP keeper Tionna Taylor to make her first save of the night. After back-to-back corner kick attempts,
Joey Lujan put a shot of her own on goal, her first in the blue and gold uniform.
In the 14
th minute of the match,
Allison Veloz opened up scoring, bringing NAU to a 1-0 lead, with the ball coming just off her shin.
NAU held the Miners to one shot on goal in the first half, maintaining the majority of possessions while putting four shots on goal as a team. Fouls became a common theme through the first 45 as NAU committee five and UTEP committed seven.
UTEP came out into the second half ready to tie things up as Taya Lopez capitalized on a penalty kick goal just a minute and a half into the second. Veloz turned things back around for the Jacks, putting NAU back in the lead with a goal in the 64
th minute of the match, marking her second of the night. Just four minutes later, Emerson Kidd tied things back up at two apiece.
Just off a throw-in, Shafer scored the game winner to secure the victory with the 83
rd minute from an
Allie Larsen assist. With the first victory of the 2023 season, the Lumberjacks have won eight straight regular season matchups.
In goal for NAU,
Trinity Corcoran made two saves in the first 45 minutes of the match, while
Natalie Manzo played the second half, making three stops. The Lumberjacks finished with nine shots, five shots on goal, six corner kicks, and 12 fouls. Veloz recorded her second-career multi-goal game as a Lumberjack. Larsen finished with two assists in her first game with NAU.
"The first ten to fifteen minutes of the second half they put us on our heels and played really well, but what we saw with this team was their response," Berrios stated. "We kept fighting, we would go up and they would tie it and then to get the game winner, it was unreal to watch the effort they put out tonight and I am so proud of them to do that in such a tough environment."
The Lumberjacks will return to action on Sunday at the New Mexico Lobos. The game will start at 12:30 p.m. MST. You can find live stats here, and stream the game here.
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