When the announcement was rendered roughly two weeks earlier, UTSA senior midfielder Jordyn Hyland wasn’t quite sure what to expect.

The Roadrunners would play Incarnate Word in a non-conference women’s soccer match on Aug. 18 at Toyota Field, home of United Soccer League Championship’s San Antonio FC. It was a first-of-its-kind event, putting women’s college soccer on a stage it rarely has enjoyed in the Alamo City.

As Hyland went through pre-game warmups and then stood for the national anthem, in her peripheral vision she could see more and more spectators make their way into the venue. She knew it was a special occasion.

“As a senior, we’ve never done anything like this, so it was extremely cool and, I guess, different getting to experience this,” Hyland said. “I just think that the environment and the crowd allowed us to play our hearts out. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. It’s one of the highlights of my college career, for sure.”

UTSA prevailed 1-0 before a crowd of nearly 1,500, capitalizing on senior midfielder Olivia Alvarez’s second-half penalty kick in the first showdown between the city’s only NCAA Division I women’s programs.

“I try to be pretty consistent on where I put it, and I practice on putting it in the top corner every time,” Alvarez said. “I was just doing what I do after every practice. I’m pretty confident when I walk up and take the PK.”

UTSA had the Cardinals on their heels throughout, holding a 29-6 advantage in shot attempts. But the game was scoreless at halftime as UIW sophomore goalkeeper Erica Defferding came up clutch time and again. She finished with nine saves on the night.

UTSA got the break it needed only six minutes into the second half when senior defender Sasjah Dade was fouled inside the penalty area, resulting in a penalty kick. Alvarez put her attempt into the upper right corner, just out of Defferding’s reach.

“PKs are kind of a goalie’s worst nightmare,” Defferding said. “Even if you guess the right way, you’ve still got a lot of ground to cover. It was a really good shot. Our goal was not just to win but to also show who we are and what we’re about. I think we did that. UTSA was a pretty good team and it was a great battle.”

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1