SAN ANTONIO – Locking in the results of intense pressure on the visiting Florida Atlantic Owls (6-9-4, 4-6-0 AMER), redshirt sophomore Olivia Christodoulides buried the game-winning goal in the 36th minute for UTSA soccer (8-5-5, 4-4-2 AMER) to earn the regular season finale victory (7-4-5, 3-3-2 AMER). The 1-0 finish earned the Roadrunners their third consecutive win over the Owls and locked up a spot in the American Championships field for the second consecutive season – granting UTSA a chance to defend its tournament title from a year ago.
UTSA was distinctly the aggressor from the opening kick, containing Florida Atlantic’s attack and maintaining a 57 percent possession advantage in the opening period – allowing the Owls into the attacking third just 11 percent of the half and only two total shots. Meanwhile, UTSA kept the FAU defenders busy with seven shots in the opening stanza.
In the 36th minute, Sofia Peters gathered the ball deep in UTSA territory and booted a long pass over two-thirds of the field ahead to Christodoulides, racing past front edge of the Owls’ penalty box. Christodoulides cut inside to beat her defender, slicing into the box and firing a nine-yard shot off...