Late Aggie Goal Forces Draw with UTEP

Meredith Scott’s 88th minute goal leads to 2-2 final score.

Source: NMSU Athletics
Story and Photo By Emilio Garcia for NMSU: Courtesy

Somehow some way, the Aggies continue to find late-game magic. Trailing 2-1 heading into the final three minutes of action, junior Meredith Scott collected the ball off the bounce of a UTEP defender, punching in her fifth goal of the season to help NM State secure a 2-2 draw with the UTEP Miners on Thursday, Oct. 31.

The Aggies pressured UTEP goalie Tionna Taylor early in the contest, with Andrea Alvarenga and Meredith Scott tallying shots on goal within the first five minutes of action. In the 23^rd minute, NM State earned the first corner kick of the contest for either team, though the Miners would come away unscathed.

Following a handball call against the Aggies inside the 18-yard box, UTEP earned themselves a penalty kick, with forward Mina Rodriguez sending it into the back of the net to give the Miners a 1-0 advantage in the 25^th minute.

Sturdy defense by both teams shaped the action as the first half neared a close, though the Aggies continued to press and attempt to find an edge. A long ball from the midfield by Carolina Rodriguez found Mya Gonzales on the left side of the goal box, where she was able to fire it across the face of the goal and sink it into the far-right corner to send the contest to halftime with a score of 1-1.

At the break, NM State led the Miners in shots (5-4) and corner kicks (5-0), while UTEP held the advantage in saves (3-1) and fouls (4-2).

NM State kept up their offensive presence in the second half, putting up a quartet of shots before the Miners were able to record their first of the half in the 82^nd minute. Moments later, Mina Rodriguez tallied her second goal of the game making it a 2-1 affair in favor of the visitors.

Down but not out, the Aggies once again mustered some late-game heroics, as a ball by Shila Rasoul first found the body of a UTEP defender before Meredith Scott was able to corral it and fire a driving right-footed shot to the left of UTEP’s Taylor to equalize the contest 2-2. Shortly thereafter, the final buzzer sounded, with the Crimson & White closing the 2024 regular season with a 10-5-3 record overall, and a 5-2-2 mark in Conference USA action.

Gonzales’ goal became her second of the season, with Carolina Rodriguez’s assist also her second of the season. Scott’s late goal gives her five on the year, trailing only Loma McNeese (8).

Up Next
The Aggies await results from the rest of Conference USA to determine their opponent in the 2024 CUSA Soccer Championships, held Nov. 6-10 in Miami, Fla. For complete coverage of NM State Women’s Soccer, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of Aggie athletics – and follow us on Twitter (@NMStateWSOC), Instagram (@nmstatewsoc) and like us on Facebook (NM State Women’s Soccer).

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Levi Gwaltney

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