SAN ANTONIO -- UTSA soccer opens its 2021 season on Thursday with the first of two tests at the Cowgirl Soccer Invitational, facing host No. 16 Oklahoma State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+ at Neal Patterson Stadium. UTSA will then face Tulsa on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
UTSA (0-0) opens its 16th season with the Cowgirl Soccer Invitational in Stillwater. The Roadrunners played three exhibition games in the preseason, posting a 2-0-1 record. UTSA earned a 3-1 comeback win at UIW on Aug. 7, then played a 90-minute scoreless draw at Texas State on Aug. 12 where UTSA outshot the Bobcats 16-5, and then posted an 8-0 win over St. Mary's.
In the win over St. Mary's, UTSA got two goals each from Kendall Kloza and Sabrina Hillyer, with Anna Sutter, Deja Sandoval, Mikhaela Cortez and Britnney Campa each netting goals. Lexi Bolton added two assists, with Alex Granville and Kiran Singh each going for assists. The Roadrunners owned a 33-1 advantage in shots and a 16-0 margin in shots on goal in the win.
The Roadrunners return nearly their entire roster from an abbreviated 2020-21 season, which was played entirely in the spring. UTSA welcomes back 17 of 21 letterwinners and all 15 players who earned starts in the spring. Abby Kassal led the team with four goals and an assist through 11 games last year, with UTSA also welcoming back Deja Sandoval, who had two goals, and Sasjah Dade, who added a goal.
A three-time All-Conference USA selection, Ellis Patterson comes into her super senior year ranking among the all-time scorers in UTSA history, ranking fifth with 45 career points and fourth with 16 goals. Lexi Bolton comes into her senior year ranked ninth in UTSA history with 26 points and fifth with 124 shots.
The Roadrunners also welcomes back Kloza, a center back stalwart, and midfield dynamo Isa Hernandez, a junior out of Kyle, Texas.
In goal, UTSA welcomes back Jil Schneider, who earned a 1.26 goals-against average in all 11 games last year, making 10 starts. Taylor Rath also played in four games with a start in goal, owning a 1.64 goals-against average.
This marks the third all-time meeting between UTSA and Oklahoma State and the first since 2017 in San Antonio, a 6-0 win for the Cowgirls. UTSA has only faced the Golden Hurricane once in 2013 in Tulsa, a 1-0 loss.
Oklahoma State checks in No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll and are tabbed to finish third in the Big 12 Conference by the league's coaches. OKST averaged 2.22 goals per game, with a 0.89 goals-against average in 2021, posting a 13-3-2 record and a 6-2-1 mark in conference play.
Three Cowgirls earned preseason All-Big 12 honors, including Olyvia Dowell, Kim Rodriguez and Grace Yochum. Dowell led the Big 12 and ranked sixth in the NCAA with 12 goals as a sophomore, adding seven assists, and owns 17 goals and 15 assists through two seasons. Rodriguez, a defender who has earned All-America honors twice in her career, ranks seventh in OKST history with 21 career assists. Yochum owns 27 career goals, including 12 in 2021, and led the nation with eight game-winning goals.
Tulsa is coming off a spring season that saw the Golden Hurricane go 2-6-0 overall and 1-6-0 in conference play. Gabriella Borboa led the team with five points – including a goal and three assists – while Neha Igwe had two goals. In goal, Emma Malsy and Reagan Breeding split time. The Golden Hurricane averaged 1.38 goals per game and finished the year with a 2.5 goals-against average.
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