DELAND, Fla. – The UTSA soccer team heads to Florida for a pair of matches in the Sunshine State, first facing Stetson in Deland, Fla., on Thursday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Athletic Training Center, the Hatter's home pitch. The match will be streamed on Stetson's YouTube Channel, Hatter Vision.
The Roadrunners are coming off their first win over a Power Five team in program history, as they defeated Kansas State by 2-1 on Sunday, Aug. 28.
Early in the first half, UTSA had a few opportunities as they won two corner kicks. Kiran Singh took both of the corners and capitalized as she launched it in to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute, an advantage they carried through the rest of the first half.
In the 58th minute, the Wildcats tied the game up at 1-1. UTSA continued to fight back and it eventually paid off. With just over two minutes left in the match, the Roadrunner regained the advantage. As the ball bounced around near the box, Singh fed a ball to Sasjah Dade who then launched the ball past the diving Kansas State goalkeeper, leading UTSA to a 2-1 victory.
The Roadrunners remain undefeated through the first 360 minutes of action this season. They also have a regular season undefeated streak that dates back to Sept. 24 of last season (1-0 loss to UTEP). Since then, the team has not lost a regular season match as UTSA holds a 3-0-1 record to begin the season.
LEADING THE ROADRUNNERS
Off to a phenomenal start to the 2022 season, the Roadrunners earned a spot in the United Soccer Coaches' South Region rankings, as they came in No. 6 for their first regional ranking in program history.
Defender Dade earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week this week, her first career conference weekly award. She scored both of UTSA's game-winning goals in last week's matches against Texas A&M-Commerce and Kansas State. She totaled 19 interceptions and won 83 percent of her defensive challenges on the backline, aiding on both ends of the pitch to lead UTSA to a sweep on the week.
Three Roadrunners have already reached double digits in shots as Singh, Abby Kassal and Anna Sutter each have 11 shots. Singh also leads the team with eight points, including two goals and four assists.
The defensive line of Sasjah Dade, Deja Sandoval, Kendall Kloza and Sabrina Hillyer have played integral roles in the Roadrunners only allowing one goal and recording three shutouts through the first four matches, accounting for 1275 minutes combined. In goal, Mia Krusinski and Jil Schneider have split their time as Krusinski has notched two saves and Schneider has notched three saves. Schneider played her first full 90 minutes against Kansas State last Sunday.
In the conference, UTSA is the only team to allow only one goal this season. The squad also has the lowest goals against average percentage at .250. Offensively, the Roadrunners are second in the C-USA with 90 shots, 36 points, 11 goals and 14 assists.
SERIES HISTORY
This match will be the first time the Roadrunners and Hatters face each other.
SCOUTING THE HATTERS
Stetson holds a 1-3 record after falling to Mercer, 4-1, on Aug. 28. The Hatters are on a three-game losing streak, winning only their season opener against South Carolina State, 5-0. Stetson was picked to finish ninth out of 14 in the 2022 ASUN Preseason Coaches' Poll, coming off a 6-10-2 record in 2021.
Kyleigh Thelen leads the Hatters with 12 shots, including eight on goal. Leading the team in points, Alexis Smith has a goal and two assists for four points. Goalkeeper Sarah Grimmett has played the entirety of the four matches, totaling 360 minutes and recording 33 saves.
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners head to Tampa, Fla., to face South Florida on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. (CT) at Corbett Stadium.
- UTSA –
