EL PASO, Texas – The UTEP soccer team has finalized its 2015 schedule, head coach Kevin Cross revealed Monday. Eleven home matches, a midweek road match-up with I-10 rival and a pair of contests against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams highlight the 20-game regular-season docket.

“I am very excited about our 2015 schedule,” Cross said. “We have one of the best schedules in recent years.  We always appreciate the great home crowds at University Field.  The work starts now to prepare us for a successful 2015 season.”

The Miners return seven starters and 15 letterwinners overall from last year’s team which produced a 12-5-4 record, including 6-2-2 to finish in third place for a second straight season in Conference USA. Included among the returnees are 2014 All C-USA honorees Aleah Davis (first team) and Angela Cutaia (third team) and All-Freshman team member Sydney Rapp.

UTEP has a balanced non-conference schedule, with six home games and four road tilts. The campaign kicks off at picturesque University Field with contests against Eastern Washington (Aug. 21) and Abilene Christian (Aug. 23). The Alumni Association will put on a tailgate for the home opener, with Rudy’s Barbeque providing food while supplies last. Also appearing in El Paso prior to league play will be Lamar (Sept. 4), Weber State (Sept. 6), up-and-coming program Grand Canyon University (Sept. 11) and Utah Valley University (Sept. 18).

A trip to defending Southland Conference champion and 2014 NCAA Tournament participant Houston Baptist (Aug. 28) gets the road portion of the season underway. UTEP will also visit Texas State (Aug. 30), NM State (Sept. 9) and Nevada (Sept. 13) during non-conference action.

The Orange and Blue will pile up frequent flyer miles at the onset of C-USA play, with all five road contests coming within the first seven games of competition. The stretch starts with a weekend in the Sunshine State to face Florida Atlantic (Sept. 25) and FIU (Sept. 27). The remaining away league match-ups will be against UTSA (Oct. 9), Louisiana Tech (Oct. 16) and Southern Miss (Oct. 18).

Western Kentucky (Oct. 2) and Marshall (Oct. 4) will venture to El Paso to initiate the five-contest home league slate. The Miners will conclude the regular season with three consecutive home games, which come against Charlotte (Oct. 23), Old Dominion (Oct. 25) and Middle Tennessee (Oct. 30).

Focus will then turn to the league’s pinnacle event, with the 2015 C-USA Championships being contested from Nov. 4-8 on the campus of FIU in Miami, Fla. At stake will be an automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Tournament.