Pittman: ‘It’s just frustrating’ as UTSA settles for draw with Texas Southern

SAN ANTONIO — Leading by one with a little over 15 minutes remaining in the match, UTSA soccer surrendered a late goal and ultimately drew with Texas Southern University 1-1 on Thursday at the Park West Athletics Complex.

Lightning delayed the match’s start by an hour and a half, but the Roadrunners (3-0-2) still came out firing in the opening minute, pulling ahead with a well-executed play off of a free kick from sophomore midfielder Leah Varela, but the score was called back for offside. For the next 60 minutes, UTSA stayed on the front foot but couldn’t capitalize on multiple scoring chances. Sophomore forward Brooklyn Bailey eventually gave the Roadrunners the lead in the 61st minute, but the Tigers (1-2-1) equalized in the 85th minute. UTSA had one final shot with a free kick in the 89th minute, but still failed to convert.

“It’s just frustrating,” coach Derek Pittman said after the game. “I thought we dominated in possession. We did a really good job of shutting them down and not allowing them to get into a real good rhythm. If you had told me earlier today that we were going to get four, five one-on-ones behind their back line and have [Bailey], [sophomore forward] Ava [Jackson] and other players get in the positions they did to score goals, I would’ve said we were going to score probably three or four goals.

“Tonight we weren’t good enough. We weren’t good enough in front of the goal. [I was] disappointed in how we gave up the goal in the end. If you let a team like that hang around, all they need is one little inch, and they found it.”

From the free kick spot, Varela slid a pass to Bailey on the far left side of the pitch. Bailey dished a cross to junior defender Aaliyaiah Durden, who buried the goal. Celebration ensued for mere moments before the score was disallowed. For the remainder of the first half, UTSA pressed the attack, outshooting Texas Southern 9-3, with a 5-1 shot-on-goal advantage, but still could not find the net.

16 minutes after the break, Bailey broke through with a goal off a pass from Jackson. The Roadrunners kept testing Texas Southern goalkeeper Alicia Audu and appeared to score again in the 76th minute. But once again, UTSA could not get out of its own way. The shot from freshman defender Lilli Denhardt would have scored on its own, but freshman midfielder Amelia Clark tapped the ball in an offside position, neutralizing the goal.

“It was hard,” Pittman said of his conversation with Clark after the play. “I’m angry in the moment. She’s not a selfish kid, but in that moment she was selfish. She wants the goal, and it’s like, ‘No. Just let your teammate have it.’ Because that’s what is best for the team.”

Instead of down 2-0, the Tigers turned around and capitalized on a defensive breakdown, slipping the equalizer past senior goalkeeper Jasmine Kessler in the 85th minute. UTSA had chances for the go-ahead goal but, true to the night’s theme, couldn’t capitalize.

UTSA will next face East Texas A&M University at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on the road at Lion Soccer Field in Commerce, Texas.