SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team (7-6-3, 2-4-2 AAC) put together its most dominant performance of the year with a special event on the line, trouncing the visiting Temple Owls (2-14, 0-7 AAC) in a 3-0 Senior Day victory at Park West. After enjoying the win, UTSA turned attention to recognizing the careers and accomplishments of eight seniors: Isobel Herrod, Jordan Walker, Maci Geltmeier, Jordyn Hyland, Sasjah Dade, Sabrina Hillyer, Olivia Alvarez and Peyton Godbey.
The Roadrunners went on the attack from the opening kickoff, racking up four rapid shots in the first five minutes – all blocked deep in the Owls’ box. Meanwhile, the UTSA defense restricted the Owls from getting a shot off until the 31st minute and only two in the first half, breaking up seven consecutive attempts from the UTSA side. Finally, in the 34th minute, sophomore Sophie Morrin gave the Roadrunners some fanfare going into the half, freezing Temple Goalkeeper Tamsin Bynoe with a penalty-kick blast to the right side of the net for the 1-0 lead – notching her first goal of the season and fourth of her career.
Leading the shot advantage 8-2 at the half on a 62-38 possession advantage, UTSA started to build up some offensive steam as senior Olivia Alvarez charted her second goal of the year, racing to the middle of the goal after sophomore Tyler Coker gave her the setup from freshman Addy Johnson’s throw-in.
Johnson, in turn, teamed up with Coker again just 12 minutes later, chipping the third and final goal off her body past Bynum from Coker’s service in the 73rd minute – extending her team-pacing goal count out to four on Coker’s second assist of the day.
The Roadrunners logged a season-high 11 corners and held the Owls to none, outshooting Temple 21-4 with 10 shots on goal, while holding possession 64 percent of the game. Though she didn’t knock one down, senior Jordan Walker matched her career high with a team-leading five shots while Alvarez logged four attempts. In goal, Jasmine Kessler picked up two saves and the win, capturing her 11th career victory to tie for fourth place in the career records – splitting the team’s seventh shutout with senior Isobel Herrod for the pair’s second combined clean sheet.
The 3-0 victory matches UTSA’s largest victory margin of the year, previously at Central Arkansas on Sept. 28.
Goals
TEMPLE: None
UTSA: Sophie Morrin (34’), Olivia Alvarez (61’), Addy Johnson (73’)
Quoting Coach Derek Pittman
“Really proud of our players, proud of their performance and their attitude to come out and celebrate our seniors with a really positive effort. We wanted to start on the front foot and put Temple under as much pressure as possible early on. It’s nice to have a call go our direction and we benefitted from that. Peyton [Godbey] was in the right spot and got taken down in the box and Soph [Morrin] stepped up and buried the opportunity. We weren’t as clean in the first half as I would have liked, but I thought that we stepped up in the second half and it was great to score two really good goals to put this game away. We did a good job defending against Temple’s attack and overall, I’m really pleased with where things are at and it gives us a lot of confidence going into next week.”
UP NEXT: The Roadrunners have two regular season games remaining and are firmly in the race to make the American Athletic Conference Championships field, sitting in eighth place in the league standings – the top eight make up the bracket. The Roadrunners will travel to South Florida next Thursday, Oct. 24, then close out the main season at home against Florida Atlantic on the following Thursday, Halloween at Park West.
- UTSA -