Coming off a spectacular 2022 season in which the program won its first conference championship in 12 years, the Roadrunners were poised for another great year. With the season officially ending, here is a recap of the UTSA women’s soccer 2023 campaign.
The ‘Runners opened up the season at home against Central Arkansas State, where they dominated the Bears in a 5-1 home victory. In their first five matches, the Roadrunners went 3-2, with all three wins coming at home. After starting 0-2 on the road, the Roadrunners continued to struggle away from home throughout the season.
UTSA finished the season at 7-7-4, an even .500 winning percentage. Despite a decent 2-1-2 final stretch, the Roadrunners did not qualify for the American Athletic Conference tournament.
Though the record did not reflect it, UTSA quietly put together one of its best defensive seasons in program history. The Roadrunners allowed 13 goals in 18 games, which would give them a GAA (goals against average) of .72, a program record.
The 13 goals allowed made this defense the second-best in the AAC. UTSA also placed third in the conference in shutouts with eight, which would rank fourth in program history.
While it may have been a disappointment for the team to not reach the AAC tournament, there was still plenty to celebrate for the Roadrunners in 2023. Senior center back Deja Sandoval broke the record for games played in program history with a total of 87 games. Freshman goalkeeper Jasmine Kessler earned a spot on the AAC all-rookie team. Kessler set both the rookie and overall goalkeeper record for GAA with a .67, which ranks 38th in the nation.
UTSA will lose nine players this offseason, eight to graduation and one to the transfer portal. Notable graduates include midfielder Sarina Russ, forward Marlee Fray and defender Deja Sandoval. The lone transfer is junior defender and midfielder Zoë Lam, who saw action in just five games in 2023, a large drop in minutes after playing 14 games in 2022.
With a mix of talent already rostered and a strong 2024 signing class, the Roadrunners and head coach Derek Pittman will look to build off their 2023 campaign and be back in title contention in 2024.
