CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The UTSA soccer team are set to battle for the Conference USA championship title with No. 5 seed FAU on Sunday afternoon. The match is set to kick off on ESPN+ at 1 p.m. (ET)/12 p.m. (CT) from Transamerica Field.
UTSA advanced to the C-USA Championship match for the first time in program history, after defeating No. 2 seed North Texas, 2-1, on Friday afternoon. The Roadrunners had a chip on their shoulders in this semifinal matchup with North Texas, after losing to the in-state rival during the regular season. This motivated them to dominate the pitch in this matchup, outshooting the Mean Green by 16 shots to 11 shots. The Roadrunners scored two goals in the first half to take an early advantage. North Texas scored a goal in the second half, but UTSA held strong to secure the 2-1 victory.
The Roadrunners ended the regular season with two straight wins to secure the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament, their highest conference finish since joining the conference in 2013. The Roadrunners tied their program record for most wins in conference play (tied with the 2019 season) and most points in C-USA play (15).
A program-high four Roadrunners were named the All-Conference USA Teams. Sophomore Sutter earned First Team honors, the first UTSA student-athlete to earn first team since joining the conference in 2013. Kiran Singh and Kloza both earned Second Team, Singh's first postseason award and Kloza's second consecutive award. Sasjah Dade was named to the Third Team, also earning her first career postseason honor.
Aside from athletic achievements, UTSA has been succeeding in the classroom as well, earning a program-high three Roadrunners on the C-USA All-Academic Team. Alissa Stewart was named to the First Team, while Jil Schneider and Sutter earned Second Team honors.
Second Team honoree Singh leads the Roadrunners with 42 shots (16 on goal) and 18 points (six goals and six assists). First Team honoree Sutter is right behind her with 15 points, consisting of five goals (three game winners) and five assists. Third Team defender Dade has contributed greatly on offense with 11 points this season, including three clutch game-winning goals. Goalkeepers Schneider and Mia Krusinski have combined for 51 saves and only allowed 16 goals this season.
FAU earned the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament after ending the regular season with a 2-0 win over FIU. The Owls advanced to the championship after defeating No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech, 4-1, in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday and No. 8 seed Charlotte, 2-1, in the semifinal on Friday.
Six FAU student-athletes were named to the postseason team – Gi Krstec, Bri Austin, Amanda Martin, Hailey Landrus, Thelma Hermannsdottir and Morgan McDonald. Krstec was named the the C-USA Midfielder of the Year. Austin leads the Owls with 24 points, consisting of nine goals and six assists, and 57 shots.
In the all-time series, UTSA holds a 1-2-3 record against the Florida Atlantic Owls. The teams last played each other on Sept. 22, 2022, when the Owls and Roadrunners played to a 1-1 draw in Boca Raton, Fla. Singh recorded UTSA's lone goal of the match, the equalizer in the 87th minute.
UP NEXT: The winner of this match will earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. Matchups and bracket are set to be announced during the NCAA Selection Show on Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. (CT) on NCAA.com.
- UTSA -
