SAN ANTONIO – It’s a crucial matchup to close out the regular season, as UTSA soccer (7-7-3, 2-5-2 AAC) hosts a consequential Halloween matchup with the Florida Atlantic Owls (3-10-4, 2-5-2 AAC) on Thursday night at the Park West Athletics Complex. Conference tournament implications are on the line with Thursday’s face-off kicking off at 7 p.m. and set for live broadcast on ESPN+.
Halloween
Wear your Halloween costume and take part in trick-or-treating at halftime! Fans are encouraged to dress for the occasion and bring a bucket to get in on the fun. Those dressed in costumes will also be able to get a free t-shirt while supplies last. Alcohol will be served at the concession stand during this game as well.
Following the Action
Thursday’s regular season finale be broadcast on ESPN+ with Karl Schoening (play-by-play) and Katie Goodman (analyst) calling the action. UTSA Athletics will also provide Live Stats from Park West.
Tournament Implications
The top eight teams in the American Athletic Conference will join the field for the AAC Soccer Championships, running Nov. 4-10 at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida. Last year, in the Roadrunners first AAC season, they did not appear in the tournament. In 2022, the final season in Conference USA, UTSA entered as the six-seed and won the title with a 3-0 sweep through the bracket. Heading into Thursday’s game, UTSA sits at ninth in the AAC standings, tied with Florida Atlantic and just two conference points behind Tulsa – who must face a Thursday-night trip to 19th-ranked Memphis, which is 6-0-1 at home. A win against the Owls bears a great opportunity for the Roadrunners to head to the Tampa area next week and extend into the postseason.
About the Roadrunners
UTSA returns for the finale after a heartbreaker at South Florida, which sits at No. 2 in the AAC standings with six wins, just behind Memphis. While the Roadrunners turned up the heat in the second half, USF chipped in a goal in the 30th minute. The Roadrunners battled down the line, including an outstanding chance in the final 11 seconds with game-tying potential off a free kick.
Last time at home, UTSA logged a dominant 3-0 victory over Temple on Senior Day with goals from Sophie Morrin, Olivia Alvarez and Addy Johnson, complemented by a pair of Tyler Coker assists and another assist from Johnson – who is the UTSA goals leader at four on the season. Coker, Alvarez, Sasjah Dade and Kameron Kloza each have a pair of goals for the Roadrunners. Michelle Polo and Coker lead the team with four assists apiece. UTSA averages 1.12 goals per game and fires off a league sixth-best 14.18 shots per game, fifth-best 6.56 on-target shots per game and fifth-best .477 accuracy. In goal, Jasmine Kessler has the Roadrunners at third in the AAC on an .824 goals-against-average and fourth with a .804 save percentage – drawing 59 saves and five solo shutouts, two combined.
About Florida Atlantic
Also wrapping their regular season, the 12th under Patrick Baker, Florida Atlantic are 1-4-1 in October and coming off an 0-2 loss at home to East Carolina. The game prior, the Owls also put together a 3-0 victory over Temple.
The Owls rank ninth in the conference in goals at 1.08 per outing, also coming up ninth with 8.41 shots per game, while taking a league eighth-best 4.18 shots on target per contest. Their shot selection does rise up the standings with a .497 accuracy. Topping the FAU offense, five players each have a pair of goals to their name, Drew Dempsey, Michelle Horan, Hailey Santiago, Jodi Smith and Sloane young. The majority of the Owls’ scores run unassisted, the team tallying just five on the season.
In goal, the Owls are 10th in the AAC with a 1.647 GAA, making saves at only a .696 clip, surrendering at least two goals in six games this season – versus five shutouts. Taking the majority of reps between the pipes, grad student Lexi Gonzalez has a 1.78 GAA and .684 save percentage with 52 stops on the year.
Series history
Thursday will mark the ninth overall meeting between the Owls and Roadrunners, a series deadlocked at 2-2-4. So far, UTSA is 0-1-2 at Park West vs. FAU, including last year’s Senior Night scoreless draw. In that game, UTSA outshot FAU 19-3 with 11 shots on goal, but all 11 ended in Gonzalez saves. UTSA’s last win in the series was a double-overtime 3-2 victory over the Owls in the 2022 Conference USA Championship Game to earn the CUSA crown.
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