SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA soccer team (4-1-3) begins its title defense this Thursday on Bill Clark Homes Field at Johnson Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina, kicking off a two-game road swing in the Tarheel State at East Carolina (1-2-6). Facing the Pirates in the league opener, the defending American Conference Champion Roadrunners will kick off at 6 p.m. CT in the matchup broadcasted on ESPN+.
On the Air
Catch the live broadcast from Greenville streaming on ESPN+, with Zach Berly as play-by-play and Spencer Pattison as analyst on the broadcast call.
East Carolina Athletics will also provide LIVE STATS from Johnson Stadium.
About the Roadrunners
The last American team to hold unbeaten status this season, the 4-1-3 Roadrunners took their first loss of the season last week against a challenging Santa Clara squad, 1-0, via an 86th-minute score. The Roadrunners are off to one of the best starts in program history and looking to begin their title defense in similar fashion, opening on the road at ECU and then on to Charlotte. The Roadrunners rank near the top of the American across the statistical spectrum, riding in second for win percentage (.688), goal points per game (6.25), assists per game (2.25) and goals-against-average (1.13), while ranking in third in scoring offense (2.00 gpg), and goal differential (7); fourth in shots per game (15.50) and save percentage (.743).
Offensively, the Roadrunners have some very clear standouts returning from last season, as redshirt sophomore midfielder Leah Varela ranks second in the NCAA with seven assists and 0.88 apg. Meanwhile, sophomore Brooklyn Bailey tops the team with an American third-best 29 shots and ties redshirt sophomore Ava Jackson with a team-best three goals for each. Of the 16 goals for UTSA this season, 14 have come from underclassmen, while the Roadrunners shoot .427 as a team. Defensively, senior in-goal staple Jasmine Kessler is set for her 61st consecutive start, coming in with a 1.14 GAA, 26 saves and a .743 save percentage this season.
About the East Carolina Pirates
Into the second full season under Emily Buccilla, East Carolina has pushed two-thirds of its games to a stalemate with a 1-2-6 record heading into Thursday – including the 1-1 draw last week in Tulsa to get a point in the conference standings. Selective about their shots, the Pirates average 8.8 per game, with 3.8 going on goal for a .430 SOG percentage. ECU averages 1.00 gpg on the year, with four players holding a pair of goals apiece, including returning junior Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram, who led ECU with five goals and five assists last season. Assists have been harder to come by for the Pirates, but fifth-year midfielder Isabella Gutiérrez has led the team with three to date. Defensively, the Pirates have returning starter Olivia Dietrich between the pipes for the vast majority of minutes, holding a 1.51 GAA with 46 saves and a .793 save percentage, leading the American in both saves and percentage.
Series history
It’s been a short history as these teams began their series with UTSA’s entry into the American in 2023, facing two prior occasions with the road team pulling out the victory in both matchups. Gutiérrez scored the game-winner in the 80th minute to capitalize on an early ECU lead last year in San Antonio, with the Pirates overcoming a 22-4 UTSA shot advantage. In that game, Varela took a career-high six shots with two on goal. In the last trip to Greenville, the Roadrunners logged a 2-0 triumph over the Pirates.
UP NEXT: The road swing continues in North Carolina into the weekend, as UTSA travels west to Charlotte for a Sunday matchup in the Queen City. At 4-4, the 49ers host North Texas on Thursday at home on Jen Gaber Field.
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