UTSA freshman midfielder Bri Carrigan crumbled to the ground late in the first half on Sunday and immediately reached for her left knee. The tears in her eyes and the worst-case fear on her face were undeniable.

For the Roadrunners, it was another potential blow for a team that this season has endured being without nearly a dozen players at different times because of injuries or red-card suspension.

But instead of falling into the depths because of the latest adversity, UTSA turned to its depth. It paid off.

Sophomore forward Tyler Coker netted her first collegiate goal early in the second half and the Roadrunners blanked Colorado State 1-0 before a crowd of 723 at Park West Complex.

“We knew today was going to be tough,” UTSA coach Derek Pittman said after earning his 50th win at the helm of the Roadrunners, only a week after landing his 100th career win. “The depth of our team has always been huge for us, and I thought that was shown today. It’s been fantastic to know that we can look down the bench and have five or six players that we can depend on to go out and keep the tempo high and continue our game plan.”

Coker was one of those players. She missed a good portion of the 2023 season because of a knee injury and made great strides during the spring, only to be injured in the team’s final exhibition match before the start of the season. Coker missed the first two matches of this season but made up for lost time.

With the contest scoreless, Coker gathered a pass from midfielder Michelle Polo and made a long run up a sideline, before sending a pass into the penalty area. Colorado State’s Avery Vander Ven tried to block the pass but accidentally redirected the ball into her own goal.

“I think once you get on the ball, just having the confidence in yourself that you’re able to produce is the way to go about it,” said Coker, a New Braunfels High School graduate. “It was an own goal by the defender, but I knew if the defender didn’t touch it, one of my teammates would.”

UTSA (4-2), which returns to action on Sunday when it plays at Central Arkansas in its final tune-up match before the opening of American Athletic Conference competition, held on for its third shutout thanks, in large part, to sophomore goalkeeper Jasmine Kessler.

With 10 minutes left to play, Kessler made three point-blank saves in 30 seconds following consecutive corner kicks by Colorado State (3-2-1) to preserve the victory.

“I do get nervous in those last few minutes because every little detail counts,” Pittman said. “If we lose focus or we drop our attention and our quality in those last few minutes, teams will punish you.”

The Roadrunners haven’t had many issues with a drop in focus or play, winning its fourth one-goal game, as reserve players Rylee Low, Peyton Godbey, Addi O’Kelley, Isabel Peters and Addy Johnson have provided key contributions.

“Our team just has really good chemistry,” Godbey said. “Derek always says we need to have that person who’s going to step up and take that opportunity and run with it. We just all look to help each other.”

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1