Ellis Patterson came back for another year because she saw the potential this season could have. Kendall Kloza left her native San Antonio to attend a college in Virginia three years ago because she wanted to “see other places.” But when she looked for a school to transfer to after her freshman season, she picked one in her hometown because she also saw the possibilities.

And no one would have faulted Isa Hernandez if she had left three years ago when things were shaky, with a team coming off a losing season and about to undergo a coaching change, but she remained because she wanted to make a difference.

Three athletes, three paths, one goal — helping the UTSA women’s soccer team finally achieve the breakthrough it has been on the cusp of.

The Roadrunners (5-2-1) try to take an important step in that direction when they host Old Dominion (4-2) in a Conference USA opener at 7 p.m. Thursday at Park West Complex.

“Conference is our main goal right now, and everyone is going to do what it takes to get there,” said Patterson, a fifth-year senior who leads the team in scoring with three goals and three assists. “I think this team, even though we kind of do have a large group of freshmen, there’s a level of maturity, and we have the momentum to fight and be more consistent. I feel we’re in a really good spot.”

UTSA’s optimism has been enhanced by a school-record start that saw the team open with four wins in its first five matches, including upending unbeaten Grand Canyon 2-1 on Aug. 29. The Roadrunners’ two losses have come against Big 12 opponents Oklahoma State and Texas Tech, who both were nationally-ranked.

Oklahoma State prevailed 2-0 in the teams’ season opener on Aug. 19, but only led 1-0 with 12 minutes left when it added an insurance tally when a shot hit off a post, then a UTSA defender and into the goal. The Roadrunners trailed Texas Tech 1-0 at halftime before conceding two goals in five minutes midway through the second half and falling 3-0.

“It’s definitely something that’s very exciting because we’ve been able to see our growth from a couple of years ago when we used to play big-time teams,” Hernandez said. “We’re playing big-time teams, and we’re playing with them. They’re not playing over us. I think it’s speaks to how well we’ve started this season and how far we can go.”

A year ago, during a COVID-abbreviated spring season, UTSA lost four conference encounters either by a goal or in overtime, including a 3-2 setback to Rice in which it twice held one-goal advantages. Rice went on to reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. In 2019, the Roadrunners started league play 0-4, losing each contest by a goal, after opening the season with a 4-2-1 mark.

“I think those were the games that we had all the pieces and we just didn’t put it together or we had just little lapses during the game,” Hernandez said. “This year, we have that competitive edge that allows us to fight for 90 minutes and, ultimately, pull out some wins that definitely were well-deserved.”

UTSA is 3-0 this season in one-goal games. In their last match on Sunday vs. Houston Baptist, the Roadrunners rallied from a 1-0 deficit at halftime to forge a 1-1 draw.

“I think that this year we’ve come full circle,” said Kloza, a former LEE High School standout. “We’re all kind of sick and tired of losing. We’ve all been through a lot together as a team and it’s made us a lot stronger. It just all shows, this year especially, that all of our hard work, and dedication, and changes we made, and foundation we’ve built are all being put to the test. It’s making it all worth it. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to transfer.”

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1