UTEP Reaches 20-Win Plateau; Ties Conference USA Record
With its 3-2 overtime win over Texas on Friday, UTEP recorded its 20th victory of the season ... aside from being a school-record (16 in 2002 was the old mark), the 20 wins ties the Conference USA benchmark set in 2000 by Marquette and 2001 by Cincinnati.

UTEP Makes NCAA Tourney Debut With Win
UTEP was one of 11 schools making its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005 ... the Miners were among just three of those 11 to advance to the second round ... Saint Louis defeated Stanford, 2-0, and Samford tied Vanderbilt 0-0 before winning on penalty kicks, 5-4 ... UC-Riverside tied Colorado, 0-0, but lost the PK battle, 4-3.

Miners Unbeaten In Five Overtime Games In 2005
Following UTEP’s 3-2 overtime win on Friday, the Miners are now 4-0-1 in extra-session games this season ... in fact, UTEP has gone 6-0-2 in its last eight.

UTEP, SMU Carry C-USA Banner
Following Friday’s first round of tournament play, UTEP and SMU are the only remaining C-USA teams in the NCAA field ... it marks the first time in the league’s 11-year history that two teams have advanced past the opening round ... Rice was eliminated by Cal in the first game of the Austin sub-regional ... 2005 marks only the second time that the league received three bids (2002) ... the only time a league member won two games in the tourney came in 2001 by Cincinnati.

No. 6 California Marks Highest-Ranked UTEP Opponent Ever
When UTEP kicks off against sixth-ranked California on Sunday, it will be the highest-ranked team that UTEP has faced in its 10-year history ... the Miners are 1-3-1 all-time against ranked opponents.

UTEP Versus Pac-10 Schools
UTEP is 2-3 all-time against members of the Pacific-10 Conference ... the Miners are 1-1 against both Arizona and Arizona State and 0-1 vs. Oregon State.

UTEP Versus California Schools
UTEP is 9-10-5 all-time against schools from the state of California ... in 2005, the Miners are 1-0 ... they defeated Sacramento State, 1-0 in overtime, on Sept. 9 in El Paso.

Tullius On Fire In 2005 Postseason
In four postseason games this year, sophomore F Jami Tullius has posted 11 points on four goals and three assists ... her two goals against Texas marked her fifth multiple-goal game of the year and the seventh of her career, which ranks third in school history ... she has scored at least one goal in 12 games this season the Miners are 11-0-1 when she nets a goal ... her 17 goals rank third in UTEP’s single-season records, while her 38 points are fourth.

Sams Happy To Be Home
Senior MF Kia Sams was having an enjoyable time being in Austin, even before UTEP had played a game ... the Austin native and McCallum HS graduate seemed to have an endless number of friends stopping by the team hotel or joining UTEP at group dinners on Thursday and Friday afternoon ... Sams even selected the Miners’ pregame meal location on Friday ... she selected the 34th Street Caf a sandwich shop she worked at during high school ... Sams capped off her second day in her hometown with a pair of assists in the 3-2 win over Texas, including the game-winner 4:37 into overtime.

Platz Unlikely Hero On Friday
Junior MF Leslie Platz’s game winner against Texas was her first GWG in 55 career appearances ... furthermore, it was just the second goal of 2005 and her career ... a reserve midfielder much of her career, she has been a spot starter in 2005 and started the last two games in place of injured F Brandi Aston ... she currently has two goals on a mere four shots on goal.

UTEP Receives Gift From State Senator Prior To Texas Game
On Friday afternoon, representatives from Texas State Senator Eliot Shapleigh’s office met with the UTEP coaches and players at the team hotel to wish them good luck ... the team was presented with a small Texas state flag and small silver coins with an angel on them ... the “Good Faith Angels” were given as a reminder for the team to have faith in their abilities on the field ... Shapleigh is the District 29 representative which encompasses El Paso County.