SAN ANTONIO – Coming off a thrilling conference road victory at East Carolina, the UTSA soccer team (6-3) returns to the friendly confines of Park West for Hispanic Heritage Day with Abilene Christian (2-2-5) coming to town on Sunday, Sept. 22. The matchup between the Roadrunners and Wildcats will mark the final non-conference tilt of the 2024 UTSA season, set for a 1 p.m. kickoff and live broadcast on ESPN+.
Following the Action
Sunday’s non-conference finale at Park West can be viewed live on ESPN+ with Karl Schoening (play-by-play) and Katie Goodman (analyst) calling the action. UTSA Athletics will also provide Live Stats.
About the Roadrunners
The Roadrunners return to Texas fresh off one of the most complete performances of the season so far. After getting a negative result in the American Athletic Conference opener against UAB, UTSA went on the road to East Carolina and responded with a stronger performance than ever in all facets of the game. Battling through a heavy Pirate press that disrupted passing, UTSA started breaking off field-length drives and landed the first opportunity on Tyler Coker’s 21st-minute score. Building some cushion, the Roadrunners tacked on a second in the same fashion in the 54th minute, as Sasjah Dade finished at the goal for the 2-0 lead. Both drives were initiated by long passes in the air from defender Rylee Low.
Now at 12 goals on the year, it’s nine different Roadrunners scoring, led by freshman Addy Johnson with three goals, ahead of Dade with a pair. Five of those scorers are new to the squad this season. As a unit, UTSA is shooting .516 on goal and ranks third in the conference and 51st in the nation.
Sophomore goalkeeper Jasmine Kessler has 25 saves on the year and an .806 save percentage with a 0.71 goals-against-average (fourth AAC, 67th NCAA). With a .556 shutout percentage, UTSA is second in the conference and 49th nationally.
Seeing only one home loss in 2024, Park West has proven a tough place to meet the Roadrunners while sporting a 19-6-5 (.717) record since 2020’s disrupted season.
About Abilene Christian
The Wildcats are looking for the first win since the 5th of September, coming to San Antonio with a 2-2-5 record – dropping a 4-1 loss to Oral Roberts on Thursday. However, ACU tied North Texas at 0-0 in the previous week and all five of their ties have been shutouts in the second year under Stephen Salas. The Wildcats have amassed just five goals this season and senior forward Chayse Thorn has a pair and an assist. Thorn leads the team with 20 shots, ahead of redshirt sophomore Peyton Hill has 19.
Goaltending duties for the Wildcats have largely gone to returning starter junior Lili Ross, but she’s been absent the past two games while Savanna Alba and Julia Herges have covered those contests. As a team, Abilene Christian has a .756 save percentage with 34 stops and a 1.22 GAA.
Series history
The Roadrunners and Wildcats will meet on Sunday for the fourth time in the series. UTSA holds a 2-1 advantage, and the teams will meet for the first time since 2017 – prior to head coach Derek Pittman taking over UTSA coaching duties. UTSA won the last two in a row, in 2016 and most recently a 2-1 August 18, 2017 win at Park West.
UP NEXT: It’s a big conference matchup on the road as UTSA travels back east to meet 11th-ranked Memphis, next Thursday at the Mike Rose Soccer Complex.
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