Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

The Paisano

UTSA beats long time rival Texas State 1-0

soccer oct. 5 2010

Anticipation was high last Friday when UTSA faced the Texas State Bobcats in a game that concluded with a triumph for the UTSA women’s soccer team.

Texas State (which hasn’t lost a Southland Conference game since 2007) provided a huge challenge for UTSA and made the team play some of its best soccer of the season during the weekend’s game.

Surely the UTSA women’s soccer team must have been nervous going into the game, but after only 16 minutes of play, Laurel Dierking scored for UTSA.

With the score at 1-0 for UTSA, the team was eager to keep it that way. UTSA fended off Texas State for the remainder of the first half, keeping the Bobcats away from their goal by effective defending. At the beginning of the second half, Texas State was obviously hungry for a goal and kept their focus on offense rather than defense. Once the dust settled, UTSA walked away with a proud victory and the team was ecstatic.

“We played really good soccer in the first half, [and] we knew that Texas State was gonna come out and push a charge. And they did. So we got a little freaked out in the second half, but we did an awesome job just keeping our way and we fought like a team today.” freshman midfielder Anka Grotle said.

This season UTSA has imported four foreign players from Brazil, Chile and Norway. During their time here the players have had to adjust to the more physical style of American soccer.

Friday was UTSA’s first win since its game against Texas Southern on Sept. 17.

“We thought we established playing very well against some great competition – Texas, TCU, Rice, Houston – all great programs, great teams. So we lost some games we deserved to win and had good confidence, but we hadn’t got it done,” Head Coach Ballard said.

So far this season UTSA has won six games and lost five, and as Coach Ballard said, they should have won more, but due to just plain bad luck or some other variable, they didn’t.

UTSA has a total number of eight games remaining this season as well as the Southland Conference Tournament in San Marcos. If the recent win against Texas State is any indication of the rest of the season, UTSA’s soccer team has a very bright future ahead.

UTSA will be back in action Friday Oct. 8 against Northwestern State at 7 p.m.

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