SAN ANTONIO – There are plenty of reasons for UTSA’s seventh-year head soccer coach Derek Pittman to be optimistic about the 2024 season, which begins Thursday when the Roadrunners host Navy at 7 p.m. at Park West. The match is a Salute to Armed Forces; admission and parking are free.
The Roadrunners return 14 players from last year’s squad, including nine seniors. That veteran experience, coupled with the addition of seven NCAA Division I transfers, brings together a battle-tested group of players ready to attack the program’s second season as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
“We are really relying on our experience this fall,” Pittman said. “We’re elated about that group of seniors coming back and the experience from the transfers that we picked up in January and May. Things have been clicking really well for us this year and we can’t wait to showcase that for our fans as we open up this week.”
UTSA’s matchup with Navy in the opening contest should provide a good early test and it also marks the program’s first-ever contest against a United States service academy.
“I am really excited,” Pittman said. “We haven’t had an opportunity to play any of the academies. I have tremendous respect for what our Armed Forces do for our country. To be here in San Antonio in Military City USA is really exciting. The fact that Navy is coming to town is going to present some awesome challenges for our players. I have no doubt they are going to be extremely fit, they’re going to be well-disciplined and they’re going to compete like crazy. I think it’s going to be a fantastic contest between two really tough, hard-nosed teams.”
The Roadrunners have created a special home environment for both players and fans alike at Park West. Last season, UTSA led The American and ranked top-45 nationally in attendance. The Roadrunners set the program season attendance record (7,002) last season and the second-highest attendance average (875) in history.
“I think it’s an absolute blast to watch our kids compete,” Pittman said. “We create a fun atmosphere. Our bench is loud and we’re very engaged with our fans. I think our style is entertaining to watch. Our kids don’t sit back; we’re extremely aggressive in everything we do. When we don’t have the ball, we’re trying to win it back as fast as possible. When we have the ball, we try to attack as fast as possible. We want to create opportunities whenever we can. I think our fans love watching our ladies compete with everything they’ve got and represent the Roadrunners in the right way.”
In 2022, Pittman led the Roadrunners to the Conference USA Championship. Last season – its inaugural in the American Athletic Conference – UTSA was one of the league’s top defensive programs, ranking second in goals-against-average (0.72 GAA) and allowing the second-fewest goals in the conference (13).
“It’s always an adjustment when you go into a new league,” Pittman said. “We knew when we were leaving Conference USA that we were going to have to raise the bar and close the gap. The American has a strong history of really tough soccer programs. Going into last season, we knew we could compete with them. I think what our players took from that was that we are not as far off as we might have guessed. We’re taking that confidence from how well we played against the top teams in the league. We were in every single game in The American last year.”
A number of players from the 2022 C-USA Championship team and last year’s squad return to this year’s team, bringing extensive experience and a desire to achieve more.
“I just think they’re hungry for more,” Pittman said. “The experience of 2022 and the disappointment of 2023 not living up to their expectations is really what is fueling them going into this fall. I know our players are determined to go out and put their best foot forward and empty their tank every time they step out on the field and put on that jersey."