SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team (6-2-2, 2-0 AMER) put up the walls and leaned on its strength as one of the nation’s elite defenses in shutting down the top-shooting team in the American Conference on Thursday night at the Park West Athletics Complex. Holding North Texas (4-6-1, 0-1 AMER) to just two shots on the night, the Roadrunners secured their fourth consecutive victory on the strength of senior Izzy Lane’s 82nd-minute one-on-one gamewinner for the 1-0 win over the Mean Green.
Giving a nod to the foundation of the program in celebrating the Roadrunners’ 20th season before a historic fourth-biggest crowd of 1,173, the current squad did what they do best under eighth-year head coach Derek Pittman, controlling possession and snuffing out every Mean Green drive into their territory. Holding a 53-47 possession advantage, the Roadrunners only allowed UNT to reach the 18-yard box 14 percent of the game and limited the Mean Green to two shots – the final coming up blocked in a tense final 10 seconds as UNT swarmed the UTSA goal with time expiring.
The Roadrunners were also the aggressor offensively, firing off 13 shots with five on target. As the clock ticked into the 82nd minute, the Mean Green looked to bring the ball out of their box but Lane came charging up for the steal, gathered the ball and spotted up off her right foot over 25 yards out – skipping the ball to the left past the diving North Texas keeper for her first goal of the season and the game-winner.
Freshmen Brooklyn Bailey and Emelie Ekman laid on heavy pressure in the first half to set the tone, with Bailey chipping in a team-high three shots among the seven Roadrunners taking an attempt. Both of Lane’s attacks were on goal.
UTSA and South Florida sit atop the early American Conference standings at 2-0 in league play after eighth-ranked Memphis tied with UAB at home on Thursday, setting up a crucial road contest next week for the Roadrunners. Thursday’s win also marks the first time UTSA has strung together four consecutive wins since the 2022 championship squad put up five straight en route to the Conference USA tournament title – a string in which UTSA last defeated North Texas.
Goals
UTSA: Izzy Lane (82’)
UNT: None
Quoting Coach Derek Pittman
“I’m really proud of our team for executing the game plan. Other than changing their shape, North Texas came out and did exactly what we expected, and I thought our players stood very tall shutting a big, big portion of their attack down. They’re a very direct team, so are we at times but our players did a fantastic job of winning first and second balls, which is a big piece of what UNT does, trying to get Mia Bernard, Claire Niedermeier and Summer Brown loose. They just never could tonight, other than a handful of times they got wide for some crosses and a mess at the end in the box. Our back line, our midfield, I thought all of our players played put together some of the best soccer I’ve seen us play all season. We showed a tremendous amount of composure in possession of the ball, did a really good job of creating the right type of chances. Overall, a tremendous performance and a big three points in front of a big crowd tonight.”
UP NEXT: Now the Roadrunners get another opportunity to rest, taking a Sunday BYE for the second consecutive week before traveling to UAB next Thursday and closing off next week at Park West against Charlotte on Sunday.
- UTSA -