UTSA soccer takes on league-leading Memphis on Thursday

UTSA Meets Memphis in American Athletic Conference Showdown

Pitting the American’s preseason No. 1 and No. 2 teams against one another, the UTSA soccer team heads east to take on league-leading Memphis at the Billy J. Murphy Soccer and Track & Field Complex on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT, goutsa.com reported. The match features the defending American Conference Tournament champion Roadrunners (6-3-5, 2-2-2 AMER) facing off against the 2025 regular season American champion Memphis Tigers (8-3-2, 5-0-1 AMER) in a live broadcast on ESPN+ with Tim Van Horn calling the game.

The Tech TL;DR:
• UTSA travels to face league leader Memphis on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT with live streaming on ESPN+.
• The Roadrunners enter the match unbeaten in their past three outings, sitting tied for sixth in the conference standings.
• Memphis tops the conference in shots per game, shots on goal per game, and goal differential.

Roadrunners Search for Momentum Against Conference Leader

It is a crucial stretch for the Roadrunners after going unbeaten in their past three outings, currently sitting in a tie for sixth in the league standings while logging the third-best overall win percentage in the American. Both sides of the ball will be tested in Tennessee as UTSA ranks third in the conference in points per game at 5.14, assists per game at 1.86, goals-against-average at 1.14, and save percentage at .765, according to goutsa.com. The Roadrunners put up 1.64 goals per contest off 13.5 total shots, including 6.3 on target, for a .466 SOG percentage as a team. Across the roster, 12 players have scored for UTSA, paced by three goals apiece from sophomore Sofia Peters, redshirt sophomore Ava Jackson, and sophomore Brooklyn Bailey. Newly-crowned single-season assists record-holder and reigning American Midfielder of the Week redshirt sophomore Leah Varela is fifth in the NCAA with nine assists and 0.64 assists per game. Bailey tops the squad with 39 shots, marking the seventh-most in the conference. Senior Jasmine Kessler has anchored the net through 66 consecutive appearances, posting a 1.15 goals-against average alongside 51 saves and a .761 save percentage while keeping opponents to a single goal or fewer in 11 of her 14 outings this season.

Tigers Field High-Volume Offense at Home

Memphis enters the matchup as the preseason favorite and is 5-1-1 at home, coming off a 2-0 win at Temple, goutsa.com reported. The Tigers lead the conference in shots per game at 18.5, shots on goal per game at 8.9, and goal differential at 13, while ranking second in scoring at 2.00 goals per game. Armed with a team-leading eight goals and five assists, midfielder Ai Kitagawa—who earned 2025 All-Region and All-Conference first-team honors—has recorded 45 total shots. Freshman midfielder Abby Forsgren paces the team with six assists and four goals, and 2025 American Freshman of the Year Ellis Kelly has taken 44 shots with three goals and three assists. Defensively, Memphis leads the conference with a 1.00 goals-against average, anchored by sophomore Ava Galani with 32 saves and a .711 save percentage.

Series History Recalls Penalty Kick Drama

Running since UTSA entered the American, the fifth meeting follows a dramatic matchup in last year’s American Championships semifinal where third-ranked Memphis broke a 1-1 stalemate with two late goals before Bailey and Aaliyaiah Durden scored to force a draw and penalty kicks, where Kessler secured a 3-1 PK advance, goutsa.com reported. Memphis leads the series 3-0-1, including a 2024 meeting in Memphis where the Tigers limited UTSA’s chances before an extra-tense win decided by a 78th-minute Alex Mackay goal. Sunday brings Senior Day for the Roadrunners against Temple at the Park West Athletics Complex alongside Cantoberfest donations for the Roadrunner Pantry and Whataburger Resource Room.