SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored a season-high three goals, but it was not enough, as CSU Bakersfield notched four winners in the first half en route to a 5-3 victory on Thursday night at the Rec Sports Complex.
Sam Peña led the way for the winning Roadrunners (5-9-2) with a pair of goals and an assist, while freshmen Anisa Patterson and Kirby Wright collected their first collegiate goals for UTSA (2-9-2).
CSU Bakersfield wasted no time in claiming the lead.
Emily Noethe's third goal of the season in the fourth minute put the visitors up and Peña sandwiched a pair of goals around a score from Daisy Vazquez to give the Roadrunners a 4-0 advantage in the 33rd minute.
UTSA responded quickly, as Patterson ended the shutout a minute later with her first goal of the campaign. The Ventura, Calif., native took a pass from classmate Whitney Whitlow and dribbled around CSU Bakersfield goalkeeper Tori Ornela before finding the back of the net to make it 4-1.
Erica Shelton provided the visiting Roadrunners with their final goal in the 50th minute for a 5-1 lead.
However, UTSA did go quietly and the Roadrunners cut the deficit to 5-2 on sophomore Liv Nyhegn’s winner in the 54th minute. The Middelfart, Denmark, native took a throw-in from classmate Charlotte Husoe and popped a header over the keeper for her second goal of the campaign.
The home squad’s final goal came 25 minutes later, when Wright headed home a free kick by junior Anka Grotle.
CSU Bakersfield held off UTSA in the final 11 minutes for the victory.
Ornela went the distance and made three saves to improve to 4-7-2, while UTSA freshman goalie Katarina Pus collected three stops.
At halftime, UTSA honored three juniors and a pair of seniors ─ Kimber Chudej, Valentina Lefort, Maria Jose Rojas, Amanda Ortegon and Lindsay South ─ as part of Upperclasman Night festivities.
UTSA will be back in action at 1 p.m. on Sunday when it will host Louisiana Tech (10-1-3, 1-0-1 WAC).