SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team (3-1) remains perfect at home after Sophie Morrin's 21st-minute goal proved to be the game winner, pushing the Roadrunners past the Texas State Bobcats (2-2) in the Battle of I-35, 1-0. With the victory, the Roadrunners top the Bobcats at home for the first time since 2010 with the second shutout of the early season.
Both teams kept the ball out of the box for extensive periods of the first half, as Olivia Alvarez logged the first shot of the night in the 20th minute, going on target for a Katelyn Chrisman save. The Roadrunners extended their pressure on TXST's end and capitalized on the first UTSA corner kick from Olivia Alvarez, as Deja Sandoval took the service to her chest and pushed it ahead to Morrin right in front of Chrisman, who poked it in for the 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.
After battling a heavy wind in the opening half, UTSA held a slight 3-2 shot advantage at the break, while TXST kept the possession advantage 55-45.
The wind died after halftime and both teams saw a surge in their attacks and a lot of crowding in both boxes in the second half. Earning the clean sheet, goalkeeper Mia Krusinski got the job done for UTSA, serving up three crucial saves in the second half to bring her total to five on the night. Including one that Krusinski punched out of play, the Roadrunners cleared off a pair of corner kicks in the second half, but the Bobcats still outshot UTSA 7-3 in the second.
Goals
UTSA: Sophie Morrin (21')
TXST: None
Quoting Coach Derek Pittman
"Really happy with getting our second shutout of the season and to get our third win. Definitely not pretty, but in these rivalry games you can throw tactics out the window. Really proud of our team and how they adjusted in the first half against the wind and with Texas State changing shapes on us, we did very well. To get a goal off a set piece can be a big-time difference-maker. Full credit to Texas State, they're a very good team that's going to be dominant in the Sun Belt this year. They kept fighting and putting us under pressure and I'm really glad our kids withstood everything they threw at us. Winning is not easy and we need to celebrate them as much as we can.
Up Next
It's a full week on the road as UTSA makes a westward swing, first to Phoenix, Arizona to face Grand Canyon on Thursday (Aug. 31), then off to Riverside, California for the first program trip to Cal Baptist on Sunday (Sept. 3).
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