SAN ANTONIO – Every week a new challenge and every game more important than the last for the UTSA soccer team (6-2-5, 2-0-3 AMER), which hosts South Florida (6-5-1, 2-1-1 AMER) in Thursday’s conference matchup at Park West, presented by Wendy’s. UTSA sits at second in the American Conference standings, while the Bulls are tied for fourth. The official Homecoming soccer game, as well as Alumni Night and Salute to Educators, kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Homecoming/Alumni Night/Salute to Educators
The official kickoff game to Homecoming weekend, the Roadrunners are also inviting all alumni, from within the program and the university, to come cheer on UTSA against the Bulls with Alumni Night. There will be on-field recognitions welcoming back some of our soccer alumni and special events prior to the game for past players. UTSA will also celebrate its annual Salute to Educators, bringing recognition to the teachers and staff that make a difference in the lives of so many young people – including on-field presentations of some of soccer’s Most Valuable Professors (MVP). The UTSA Fan Engagement team will be giving out free bam bams while supplies last for fans visiting the marketing table.
Following the action
The game will be carried live on ESPN+ with Karl Schoening and Katie Goodman on the broadcast call.
UTSA Athletics will also provide live stats.
Tickets to Sunday’s Game
Single-game tickets are available online, at the UTSA ticket office and at the Park West box office (an hour before game time).
All seating is general admission - Buy South Florida vs. UTSA Tickets Here
- Adults - $10
- Juniors (ages 3-18) - $7
- Seniors (ages 65+) - $7
- Military (with ID) - $7
- UTSA Students: Free Admission with UTSA ID, download tickets at goUTSA.com/studentlogin.
About the Roadrunners
The Roadrunners have now set the program record for the longest unbeaten streak, not seeing a loss since Aug. 28 and logging eight outings in that stretch with four wins and four draws. Settling into the American’s No. 2 position, the Roadrunners have recorded three consecutive 1-1 draws heading into this week. The last outing was crucial to maintain their standing, as Michelle Polo put away a 40th-minute equalizer to help UTSA earn conference road points, earn the draw over Rice and stay ahead of the third-ranked Owls in the standings. The Roadrunners have scored in seven consecutive games and average 1.08 goals per game off 14.31 shots per contest. Senior midfielder Zoë May has delivered for the Roadrunners consistently, topping the squad with four goals and sharing the assist lead with freshman forward Brooklyn Bailey at two apiece. Bailey has proven the top shot-taker for UTSA, pacing the squad with 25 attempts, while senior forward Izzy Lane (.529 SOG) and May (.526 SOG) are the most accurate shooters so far, combining for over 25 percent of UTSA’s on-target shots.
Defensively, the Roadrunners are as relentless as ever and remain among the national elite in the defensive stats, ranking 10th in goals-against-average at 0.46 and sixth nationally in save percentage at .889 – topping the American in that measure. Leading that effort, junior goalkeeper Jasmine Kessler is individually 11th in save percentage (.882) to lead the conference, while listing 14th in GAA (0.49) to rank second in the league.
Looking forward to another big crowd to support the Roadrunners, Park West proves to be its own formidable challenge, as UTSA ranks 60th in the nation in average attendance (698) and the Roadrunners have won 69.1 percent of their games on a 25-9-8 record since the 2020-21 campaign.
About the South Florida Bulls
In the second year under Chris Brown, South Florida has the proven ability to force a result this season and are tied for fourth in the American on a 6-5-1 record. The American’s fourth-best scoring offense, USF averages 1.75 goals per game off a second-ranked flurry of 16.2 shots per game that land 6.9 SOG per outing. However, the Bulls also take some hits, with a 1.42 GAA and a .702 save percentage. Taking the offensive reins, junior Morehead State transfer Hedda Ornberg (five goals), returning American Midfielder of the Year Sadie Sider-Echenberg (four goals) and senior All-Region forward Gentiana Fetaj (three goals) account for 57 percent of USF’s goals, while Fetaj is second in the American with a team-high six assists. Between the pipes, USF has seen split minutes, but each of the past four conference outings have solely gone to redshirt freshman Gaby Rourke with a 1.60 GAA and .657 save percentage on the season, while reigning American Goalkeeper of the Year Leire Herraez Gallach has been out of action – posting a 1.11 GAA and .773 save percentage on the year.
Series history
Into the fifth overall meeting on Thursday, the Roadrunners are still looking for their first series win against the Bulls. After a lopsided start in 2019, the past three meetings have each been 1-0 nailbiters. Last October in Tampa, a defensive struggle was upended by Sadie Sider-Echenberg’s 31st-minute goal. Despite a more active-shooting second half, UTSA wasn’t able to collect the equalizer. UTSA is 0-4 in the series and 0-2 at Park West against South Florida.
UP NEXT: All the games on the road are big and the next one is no different, as UTSA gets a 10-day break before heading to Tulsa on Oct. 19 to face the Golden Hurricane, which head into Thursday tied for seventh in the American.
- UTSA -