Senior Laurel Dierking netted her team-leading third goal of the year on Friday.
HOUSTON — Two first half goals proved to be too much for the UTSA women's soccer team to overcome, as the Roadrunners fell at Rice, 2-1, on Friday night at Rice Track/Soccer Stadium.
The Owls found the back of the net in the 10th minute when Hope Ward bounced in a shot off the left post for her first goal of the season. The Roadrunners had scoring chances early but shots by senior Chelsea Zimmerman and freshman Maria Jose Rojas in the sixth minute were blocked.
Rice held UTSA to just one shot the rest of the half and it extended its lead in the 37th minute when Jordan McCray set up Jessica Howard's second goal of the season.
Senior Laurel Dierking cut the deficit in half in the 66th minute on a feed from freshman Anka Grotle. The Bastrop native put a shot past charging goalie Catherine Fitzsimmons to tie four other players with her team-leading third winner of the season.
Grotle had a chance to tie the match in the 88th minute, but Fitzsimmons came up with the stop and the Roadrunners did not threaten the rest of the way.
UTSA fell to 1-3 in true road games this season and 0-3 all-time against Rice.
The Roadrunners kick off a six-match home stand on Friday, Sept. 17, with a 7 p.m. contest against Texas Southern.