DELAND, Fla. – The UTSA soccer team started its Florida road trip on a high note as the Roadrunners took a 3-0 victory over the Stetson Hatters on Friday morning.
After bad weather postponed the match from last night to this morning, UTSA was ready to get on the pitch and the team came out firing during the first half of action. UTSA fired off 10 shots (five on target) and Stetson countered with two shots on goal. Possession was split 53 percent to 47 percent, in favor of UTSA, through the first 45 minutes.
Through the first 10 minutes of the match, the game moved slow as each team only recorded one shot and most of the action consisted of throw ins, goal kicks and fouls. As soon as the clock hit the 10-minute mark, something switched as the Roadrunners kicked into high gear. In the 11th minute, Anna Sutter battled past an aggressive Stetson defensive line and as Hatter goalkeeper Ashleigh Wise came off her line, Sutter launched the ball to the low left side to give UTSA the 1-0 advantage.
The Roadrunners wasted no time extending that lead as less than four minutes later, the team took advantage of a free kick opportunity. Avery Chaney launched the free kick into the box, where Deja Sandoval set the ball up perfectly for Sasjah Dade to send it in during the 15th minute, extending the UTSA lead to 2-0.
UTSA fired off seven more shots through the next 30 minutes of play, while Stetson responded with one more shot. 13 free kicks were awarded (six for the Hatters and seven for the Roadrunners), but neither team scored the rest of the first half as UTSA carried its 2-0 lead into the break.
Coming into the second half, the Roadrunner rolled over the momentum from the first 45 minutes. Sabrina Hillyer took a UTSA throw in and quickly regained possession of the ball, then launching it to Sutter in the box. Sutter then drove the ball past a defender and while the defender was taking her down near the box, Sutter kicked the ball in while sliding and it bounced off the goalkeeper to give UTSA a 3-0 advantage in the 48th minute. The teams fired off a total of 10 more shots through the rest of the second half but didn't quite reach the back of the net. The Roadrunners ended up with the 3-0 victory over Stetson Hatters after fulltime.
UTSA outshot Stetson by 16 shots (eight on target) to seven shots (three on goal). Defensively, the Roadrunners won more defensive challenges as they had 14 fouls and single yellow card, while the Hatters collected 20 fouls and five yellow cards. Although Stetson earned six corner kicks as opposed to UTSA's four, the Hatters were unable to capitalize on those opportunities, thanks to a solid Roadrunner defensive line. UTSA's record improves to 4-0-1, while Stetson's record falls to 1-4-0.
Sandoval led the Roadrunners with three shots, including one on goal and an assist. Goalkeeper Mia Krusinski played her first full match in a Roadrunner uniform, shutting out the Hatters through 90 minutes with three saves recorded. For Stetson, Maddie Struble offensively led the Hatters with two shots (one on goal). The Hatters' goalkeeper Wise notched five saves.
GOALS
UTSA: Anna Sutter (11'), Sasjah Dade (15'), Anna Sutter (48')
Stetson: N/A
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 -
