The Teams: Tarleton State Texans (0-0-1, 0-0-0 UAC) vs. UTEP Miners (2-0-0, 0-0-0 MWC)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Tarleton State Soccer Complex (500)
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
MATCH PROMOTIONS

• The Texans will host their annual "Back 2 School Bash" ahead of the match on Thursday. There will be free food available for first arriving fans, and all can participate in tailgate games and enjoy a live DJ. The pregame activities will begin at 5:30 p.m.
• After the match, the Texans will host a postgame poster autograph session for fans.

 
ABOUT THE MATCHUP

• This is the second meeting and first in Stephenville. Last year, the Miners won 1-0 on Aug. 28, scoring in the 70th minute. Emma Barnes played all 90 minutes at goalkeeper, allowing just the one goal on 18 UTEP shots, with nine saves.
• UTEP is 0-4-1 over its last five road matches, all last season. The Miners last won on the road on Sept. 7 at Boise State (1-0).
• UTEP owns a 7-0 goal advantage this year through two matches.

 
QUICK HITS

• Tarleton State battled Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to a 2-2 draw in the season opener last week. This marked the fourth time in five playing seasons the Texans have opened the season on the road, and they remained undefeated (1-0-3). Zahra Friess scored in the seventh minute, the quickest goal to start a season for the Texans in program history, and the Texans' two goals on the match marked a new program-best for a season-opener.
• Returner Grace Berry scored Tarleton State's second goal to give them a 2-0 lead in the 20th minute, firing a loose ball into the top left of the net. This was Berry's first goal for Tarleton State, now in her second season.
• Tarleton State will play its home opener on Thursday. The Texans are 1-1-2 all-time in home openers, with their win coming on Aug. 25, 2022, against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Golden Lions head coach in that match is now the head coach of the Texans, Erik Solberg, who will coach in his first match for the Purple and White in Stephenville.
• Now in its fifth season of competition, Tarleton State has been on the rise over the past couple of years. The Texans went 16-15-9 over the past two years after their first two years of going 10-21-6.
• Tarleton State Soccer's coaching staff is completely new for the first time since the program started in 2021. Erik Solberg is head coach after two years at Gardner-Webb (2024-25), four at Arkansas Pine-Bluff (2020-23), one at Northwestern Oklahoma State (2019), and three at East Texas Baptist (2016-18).

 
UP NEXT
The Texans will face Houston for the third time in program history, a Sunday 1 p.m. matchup at the Carl Lewis International Complex. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+, and tickets are available.