LUBBOCK, Texas – The UTSA soccer team (10-6-6) battled to the final horn and saw a phenomenal season end in the NCAA Championships First Round, as the Roadrunners gave No. 6 seed (No. 18 NCAA) Texas Tech a hard run in a nailbiter on Friday night at the John Walker Soccer Complex. The Red Raiders delivered an early lead, but Jasmine Kessler nailed the equalizer from midfield in the 61st minute. TTU was able to register the final go-ahead goal in the 77th minute for the 2-1 final, closing out UTSA’s third program NCAA appearance.
An offensive power in a stacked Big 12 Conference, the Red Raiders made it clear that Kessler was going to face some heat all night, forcing a save just 29 seconds into Friday night’s NCAA contest. TTU kept the pressure on and maintained the ball in UTSA’s half in the early going, logging two more shots and three corners before Peyton Parsons sliced a goal into the box in the 14th minute.
Undeterred, the Roadrunners added pressure of their own attack as senior Zoë May fired off back-to-back threatening shots in the next three minutes. The Roadrunners blocked three TTU shots and Kessler saved another as the Red Raiders carried a 1-0 lead into half.
May forced TTU goalkeeper Faith Nguyen into two more saves early in the second half, but it was the Roadrunners’ own goalie who took the spotlight. In the 61st minute, Kessler spotted up a free kick from midfield and fired her thunderbolt at the goal, beating Nguyen in the top left corner to equalize the game with 29 minutes to go.
The Red Raiders registered the next five shots and finally broke the deadlock on the fifth try, as unanimous All-Big 12 first-teamer Taylor Zdrojewski placed a rocket from 18 yards into the upper right corner of the net to push Texas Tech back in front.
Coming down the stretch, the Roadrunners battled to even things up on every possession to the final horn, but Texas Tech survived the rally attempt for the 2-1 win.
Becoming the first in-goal goalkeeper to score a goal in UTSA history, Kessler also logged six saves on a high-pressure night against the Red Raiders.
May delivered three of her four shots on goal to lead the Roadrunners in her final UTSA appearance. Fellow senior Izzy Lane placed one shot on goal, as did underclassmen Brooklyn Bailey and Leah Varela.
The Roadrunners finish with a 10-6-6 record for a 59 percent win rate, the fourth highest win percentage in school history. The first UTSA team to win the conference tournament title since joining the American, this is eighth-year head coach Derek Pittman’s second overall conference crown – previously winning Conference USA in 2022 – and the second appearance in the NCAA Championships under Pittman.
Goals
UTSA: Jasmine Kessler (61’)
TTU: Payton Parsons (14’), Taylor Zdrojewski (77’)
Quoting Coach Derek Pittman
“Credit to Texas Tech – they’re a quality side – but I’m incredibly proud of our team. Our players showed heart, toughness, discipline and belief on the biggest stage, and they left everything on the field. This team has raised the standard for UTSA Soccer, and while the result hurts, it doesn’t define the season they built. Competing for conference titles and going to the NCAA tournament is the expectation now. We’ll use this, grow from it and build on it into 2026.”
- UTSA -