UTSA closes opening week against UIW at Toyota FieldUTSA closes opening week against UIW at Toyota Field
Soccer

UTSA closes opening week against UIW at Toyota Field

SAN ANTONIO – Sunday is a big night for budding cross-town rivalries and local soccer as the UTSA soccer team (1-0) makes its first appearance on the pitch at San Antonio FC’s Toyota Field, taking on UIW (0-0-1) for just the second regular-season meeting in the series. Kickoff at Toyota Field is slated for 6 p.m. and it will be Youth Night.

Youth Night at Toyota Field
Youth and school soccer teams across the city are invited to bring their squads and cheer on the only NCAA Division I soccer squads in San Antonio women’s soccer. Local product Kameron Kloza is an alum of Classics Elite 02/03 ECNL and UIW’s local players, Sierra Wannamaker and Sadie Bell, are also products of the local youth system.

Following the Action
Due to the venue change, there will be no broadcast for Sunday’s game. UTSA Athletics will provide Live Stats from Toyota Field and fans can follow the action on UTSA’s social media (X/Instagram) @UTSAWSOC.

Tickets
Tickets for the general public are available for $12, either online or at the Toyota Field box office. Students from both UTSA and UIW will have free admission by presenting their Student ID at the box office.

Toyota Field
Located at 5106 David Edwards Dr. San Antonio, TX 78233, Toyota Field is the home to professional United Soccer League franchise San Antonio FC. The soccer-specific stadium opened in 2013 with an 8,200-spectator capacity and the pitch is a natural hybrid Bermuda grass.

  • Stadium Bag Policy
    Toyota Field allows bags up to 12″x12″x6″ in size. Exceptions include, but are not limited to: medical or childcare bags, or any bag Toyota Field event security management approves upon inspection. Fans with non-approved bags will be asked to return them to a vehicle.
  • Prohibited Items
    Rain jackets and ponchos are encouraged in the event of inclement weather, as umbrellas will not be permitted. Prohibited items also include (not all-inclusive): balls, bottles (glass, thermos, cans), brooms, cameras with detachable lenses or lenses longer than 3” when extended, chains (metal), costumes (dangerous in nature, including nunchucks, pitchforks, sling blades, axes, swords, whips, nooses, etc.), electronic cigarettes, flasks, guns (real or toys), knives or multi-tools (pocketknives, switchblades, lock-blades, throwing stars, scissors), laser pointers or laser pens, mace (pepper or tear gas), poles or rods of any kind (this includes selfie sticks), sticks of any kind, swords (plastic, metal, wood), video cameras, animals (except service animals).
  • Parking and Fan Entrances
    Parking for Sunday’s game will be free to all spectators. ADA parking is located in Toyota Gold LOT1. LOT3 is the tailgating parking lot. General public stadium entrances are via the North and South gates. The South gate features a no bag line. Toyota Field uses magnetometers (walk-through metal detectors) as part of enhanced security procedures at all entrances of the stadium. Guests will be asked to remove any metallic items during the magnetometer screening process, including cameras, keys and cell phones at all points of entry.


Toyota Field Parking

About the Roadrunners
Led by seventh-year head coach Derek Pittman, UTSA jumped out to a solid start to the 2024 campaign, boasting a commanding 2-1 win over Navy on Thursday in the season opener. The Roadrunners controlled possession an astounding 70 percent of the game and notched a score in both periods – both off corners. At the six-minute mark, Memphis transfer defender Zoё May found space off a scramble to fire a shot past a deflection for her first UTSA score. Texas Tech transfer and LEE High School product Kameron Kloza added to UTSA’s advantage in the 65th minute, making the most of perfect passing from Bri Carrigan and Olivia Alvarez to smash the header her first career goal off the set piece. The Roadrunners had 18 players see action in the opener and outshot the visiting Midshipmen, 16-5, logging nine on-target shots.

About UIW
The Cardinals’ season and home opener ended in a draw with Tarleton State on Thursday, tied up at 1-1 at the final whistle. Tarleton led the shooting margins, 16-9, and both teams notched at least four saves. Graduate student defender Ellie Mai Sanford logged the game’s first score in the 63rd minute off of Kiana Villa’s assist. However, the Texans countered with a 71st-minute game-tying score.

Head coach Jake Plant is in his second season at UIW after a 6-8-2 finish in 2023. A very experienced team this season, UIW returns the top six scorers from last season, including all five multi-goal scorers – along with five-of-six Cardinals who produced an assist in 2023. Pacing that group, forward Sierra Wannamaker was named to the All-Southland Conference second team in 2023 after leading the Cardinals in goals (4), points (9), shots (35) and shots on goal (20). Named this month to the SLC Preseason All-Conference second team for the fourth consecutive season, Wannamaker has 66 games under her belt with 17 combined goals. The second-leading scorer from last season, midfielder Brianna Mata tallied three goals in 2023. Also appearing on the Preseason All-SLC second team, sophomore Erica Defferding is back in net after winning the starting goalkeeper job, producing 68 saves in 13 starts, an .850 save percentage, three shutouts and 0.92 goals-average against in her rookie season.
  
Series history
Officially, the Roadrunners and Cardinals are meeting for just the second time. The only previous regular season game in the series was a 6-0 UTSA victory over UIW at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in 2018. The Roadrunners and Cardinals have met as fall exhibition foes three times in the past five years and have played numerous spring friendlies over the years. In last year’s exhibition, the Roadrunners dealt the Cardinals a 3-0 loss.

UP NEXT: UTSA will hit the road for the first time in the 2024 season, taking the short trip up the Interstate to square off with Texas State in the Battle of I-35. The Roadrunners delivered a 1-0 victory last season at Park West – Sophie Morrin registering the 21st-minute game-winner. UTSA’s last trip to San Marcos was a 1-0 loss in 2018 during Pittman’s first season in San Antonio. The Bobcats dropped a 2-1 loss at Rice on Thursday and went 9-7-4 last year.

 

- UTSA -