SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team (2-0-3) went head-to-head with Mother Nature in sitting out an extensive lightning delay and then went to work against the visiting Texas Southern Tigers (2-2) on Thursday night at the Park West Athletics Complex. The Roadrunners and Tigers came away with a 1-1 draw after both teams put up scores in the second half.
Following over 90 minutes of weather delay, the Roadrunners got off to an aggressive start, but a score in the opening minute of play was ruled offsides. The Roadrunners continued to paint the attacking third, racking up eight shots in the first 25 minutes before TSU could notch its first. Although UTSA put up five shots on goal in the first half, TSU goalkeeper Alicia Audu and the Tigers kept UTSA off the board, heading to the break with a scoreless tie.
Sophomore Brooklyn Bailey finally broke the deadlock in the 61st minute, clipping the go-ahead goal inside the left post into the back of the net after Caroline Pelkofski won the ball back and redirected it forward to Ava Jackson and then across to Bailey on the right side for the score.
An opportunity to build up a safety net fell short as a second UTSA goal was pulled back on an offsides call in the 76th minute, and it proved to be consequential with an 85th-minute Ava Coverdale game-tying-goal for the Tigers.
Texas Southern managed to keep the Roadrunners away from further chances to take the lead and held on for the 1-1 finish, despite UTSA’s 19-6 shooting advantage with numerous breakway chances and eight on-target shots on the board. TSU goalkeeper Audu finished with seven saves in the draw.
Bailey was a force for the Roadrunners, tying her career high with seven shots to lead UTSA (three on goal) with one score, while Jackson tallied a season-high four attempts and the primary assist. Goalkeeper Jasmine Kessler logged three saves.
With Thursday night’s results in the books, the Roadrunners remain the only undefeated team in the American Conference.
Goals
TSU: Ava Coverdale (85’)
UTSA: Brooklyn Bailey (61’)
Quoting Coach Derek Pittman
“Regardless of the results, we thought we played some good soccer, moved the ball well and created enough chances to win the game. If you told me earlier we were going to get four or five breakaways behind them with the players that we did, I would’ve been really pleased with that and I thought we would have scored more. Full credit to Texas Southern, they kept us at bay and we didn’t bring a ruthless enough mentality in front of goal to put a team like this away. We learned some harsh lessons tonight on how important it is to be clinical in font of goal. We win together, we lose together and I’m proud of our team and how we responded and the chances we created – to hit the post, hit the crossbar, have a couple called offside and big goalkeeper saves. We weren’t sharp enough but there’s a lot of positives to take away from this game.”
UP NEXT: Taking Sunday off for the first time this season, UTSA hits the road next week, traveling to Commerce, Texas to face East Texas A&M on Thursday, Sept. 3 at Lion Soccer Field.
- UTSA -