? Pre-match notes (.pdf)
No. 3 UTSA vs. No. 6 Sam Houston State
Thursday, Nov. 8 ? 4:30 p.m.
Demons Soccer Complex (750)
SAN ANTONIO ? The third-seeded UTSA soccer team heads to the 2007 Southland Conference Tournament to face the sixth-seeded Sam Houston State Bearkats on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m. in Natchitoches, La.
Series Meeting: The Roadrunners lead the all-time series against the Bearkats, 2-0. UTSA collected a 3-0 win over SHSU on Oct. 14 in San Antonio. This will be the first meeting between these two squad in postseason play.
Runners on the Web: Fans can purchase single matches for $5.95 or access to the entire tournament for only $9.95 through the SLC’s official web site (www.southland.org). Live stats will be provided by Northwestern State free of charge at www.nsudemons.com.
Scouting Sam Houston State: The Bearkats qualified for the SLC Tournament with a 2-1 win in double overtime against Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday in Huntsville. SHSU finished the regular season 6-10 overall and 4-5 in conference play. The Bearkats have won three of their last four matches and have outscored their opponents 12-5.
Runners in tournament play: UTSA is 0-1 all-time in tournament action. Last season, the Roadrunners made their debut as the No. 2 seed but dropped a 1-0 heartbeaker to McNeese State in their semifinal match.
Dillon collects a pair of SLC honors: Freshman Alli Dillon was named 2007 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and was an All-SLC first teamer, the league office announced on Wednesday. It marks the second year in a row that a Roadrunners has been rewarded the league’s top freshman, as Chelsea Zimmerman won the honor a year ago.
Okpo named to the first-team: Sophomore Ezinne Okpo, who was a second-team honoree last year. The Denton native has tallied a career-high four goals in 18 matches.
Najera and Zimmerman earn second-team honors: Sophomore Veronica Najera and Zimmerman garnered All-SLC second-team accolades. Najera, who was an honorable mention choice a year ago, is tied with Dillon for top honors on the team with nine goals. She ranks second on the squad with 22 points and four assists. Zimmerman, who was first-team selection last season, stands second on the team with four assists and is fourth on the squad with six points in 14 matches played.
Soccer splits a pair over the weekend: UTSA collected a 2-0 win over Lamar on Friday night in San Antonio. Freshman Alli Dillon netted a pair of goals in the win. On Sunday, the Roadrunners fell 4-1 to McNeese State at the UTSA Recreational Sports Complex. Sophomore Veronica Najera scored her ninth goal of season in the loss.
Okpo earns Academic All-District honors: Sophomore Ezinne Okpo was tabbed second-team ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District VI on Nov. 1. Okpo registered a 4.00 cumulative gpa last season. The Denton native has helped the Roadrunners post a 8-8-2 overall mark and a 6-2-1 conference record. She has recorded four goals and one assist in 18 matches this year. She also has helped the Roadrunners totaled a school-record six shutouts.
Back to basics: In their last seven matches, the Roadrunners’ defense has returned to its roots posting five shutouts, while allowing just five goals.
Runners declaw Bobcats: UTSA handed I-35 rival Texas State a 3-1 loss on Oct. 21 in San Marcos. Freshman Joy Jarrell collected her first collegiate goal, while freshman Alli Dillon and sophomore Veronica Najera added one goal apiece. Najera and Dillon also recorded an assist as the Roadrunners eared three points in the I-35 Orange vs. Maroon Rivalry series.
Dillon’s hot play: Freshman Alli Dillon leads the team in points (24) and assists (6) and is tied for first on the squad with nine goals. Dillon scored two goals in a match three times this year. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native has either recorded a goal or an assist in seven of the nine conference matches this season.
Najera scoring run: Sophomore Veronica Najera ended her five-match scoreless drought against Iona on Sept. 23. Since then, the Waxahachie native has been on scoring run with seven goals over the last nine matches. Najera is tied with Dillon for top honors in goals with nine.
McCabe collects first SLC honor: Freshman Allison McCabe was tabbed Southland Conference Goalkeeper of the Week Oct. 16, after posting back-to-back shutouts in her first career starts. McCabe made her first career start against Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 12 and recorded her first-ever shutout. She repeated her performance in the 3-0 win versus Sam Houston on Oct. 14.
Dillon named Offensive Player of the Week: Freshman Alli Dillon was tabbed Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 9. Dillon became the first Roadrunner to garner the weekly award in school history.
Hamm earns first career SLC honor: Sophomore Halee Hamm was named Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 2. The Midland native tallied one assist and helped the Roadrunners defense hold the Cougars to one just goal on 18 shots.
Head Coach Steve Ballard: Steve Ballard is in his second season as UTSA head soccer coach. During his first year, he guided a young Roadrunners squad that featured 24 freshmen, including nine in the starting lineup, to an 8-9-2 overall record and a second-place finish in the Southland Conference standings with a 5-1-2 mark. Ballard led his team to its first SLC Tournament appearance as the No. 2 seed. In his first season with the Roadrunners, four players earned all-conference honors, highlighted by SLC Freshman of the Year Chelsea Zimmerman. Overall, Ballard has compiled a 142-83-17 record in 11-plus years as head coach.
What’s next: If UTSA wins its match against Sam Houston State, it would face No. 2 seed Stephen F. Austin on Friday, Nov. 9. The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
