UTSA soccer: Christodoulides goal secures playoff spot
A 36th minute strike by a sophomore midfielder helped the Roadrunners defeat Florida Atlantic 1-0 on Tuesday night.
By Ana Salazar ·
UTSA secured its place in the American Conference Tournament with a 1-0 victory over Florida Atlantic on Tuesday night at Park West Athletics Complex.
The Roadrunners entered the match needing a win to stay alive in the conference standings. They were 8-5-5 overall and 4-4-2 in league play. Florida Atlantic was 6-9-4 overall and 4-6 in the American. UTSA needed the points to avoid elimination before the conference tournament began.
The match remained scoreless until the 36th minute. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Christodoulides broke the deadlock. She received a long pass from midfielder Sofia Peters. Christodoulides beat the Owls defense and fired the ball into the net. It was her first goal of her collegiate career.
Christodoulides joined UTSA as a walk-on after tearing her ACL during her senior year of high school. Coach Derek Pittman recruited her when she had no other offers. "Honestly, I don’t even remember what I felt like," she said. "I was just so happy to be able to help contribute to my team in a positive way."
Florida Atlantic pushed hard in the second half. The Owls recorded 11 shots after the break. They tested the UTSA defense repeatedly but could not find a way past the goalkeeper. UTSA finished with 13 shots on goal compared to Florida Atlantic’s 11.
Senior goalkeeper Kessler made four saves to earn her 20th career shutout. It also marked her 30th career victory. "To come out here, not only win, but get the shutout as well. It’s unimaginable," Kessler said. "The feeling is beyond words."
Coach Pittman described the matchup as a critical moment for the program. "It was pretty much a win-or-go-home kind of scenario for us," he said. "It speaks to the character of who our players are that they’re never going to quit. They’re never going to back down."
UTSA will travel to Lakewood Ranch, Florida, for its next match. The fifth-seeded Roadrunners face fourth-seeded Rice University on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. They are defending the American Conference Tournament title they won last season.
Source: The Paisano
