Soccer’s Conference USA opener resulted in a draw 1-1 to UTEP at Fifth Third Stadium on Thursday.
The Owls went into the game with a 0-6-1 record, looking for their first win of the season.
Despite the Owls matchup resulting in a tie, they now know what to expect with the atmosphere playing in the Conference USA.
“Tonight was a great atmosphere,” coach Chris Cahill said. “First Conference USA game felt like a playoff game as it should That’s what competition is going to be so it’s going to be a lot of what we see in the next few weeks is a highly competitive team, highly athletic team that’s going to take it to the max.”
The Owls were back home for the first time since Sept. 1 after a two-game road trip.
Macie Rainwater scored her third goal of the season as she found the net, giving the Owls a 1-0 lead to start the game in the 20th-minute.
“She played a great game,” Cahill said. “She worked as hard as she could. She’s proven that she can score in tough moments and be aggressive.”
UTEP responded with a goal of its own in the 44th-minute as the first half was coming to an end.
The second half was a back-and-forth half as neither team had control of the game.
The final few minutes resulted in both teams attempting to take the lead. UTEP had their best shot at taking the lead in the final seconds, but missed their final two opportunities.
“I wanted us to push a little bit more to go for the win put and some more players forward so, I think the momentum switched a little too late for us to make impactful moments in the final third of the field,” Cahill said.
Both teams had two yellow cards each. UTEP took a total of 21 shots while Kennesaw State took five shots for the game
The Owls hosted Jackson State on Sept. 21 at Fifth Third Stadium at 12:00pm, pulling out a 1-0 victory.
