Soccer Team Plays At Houston Friday Night
10/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
THIS WEEK: The Rice soccer team (10-6-1 overall and 2-6-0 in Conference USA) is back on the road for its final regular season game on Friday, Oct. 27. The Owls play crosstown rival Houston (9-9-0, 3-5-0) at 7 pm at Robertson Stadium on the UH campus.
IT'S A MUST WIN SITUATION: The game at Houston is critical as the Owls try to secure a spot in the C-USA Tournament Nov. 1-5 in Dallas. Only eight teams qualify for the tournament and Rice enters the contest in ninth place in the 12-team C-USA standings. A win does not guarantee the Owls a spot in the tournament, but a loss to the Cougars brings the season to an end.
LIVE IN-GAME STATS: Live in-game statistics for Rice soccer matches are posted on the world-wide web. At the start of the game go to the respective live stats link at the top of this page.
QUICK ON THE OWLS: Rice has the same overall record that it had through 17 games a year ago. The Owls' 10-6-1 record is tied with the 2005 squad for the second-best record through 17 games in school history. In 2004 the Blue & Gray was 11-3-3 to start the year and ended up advancing to the NCAA Tournament. This year's squad owns wins over nationally-ranked Texas, regional rival TCU and SEC foe Mississippi State to name a few. The team recorded its longest unbeaten streak in program history (nine games) before a 1-0 home loss to regionally-ranked UCF on Sept. 29. The Owls have been tough at home and sound and solid on the road, winning twice as many games in hostile territory this year (4) than the entire previous year.
The team began the year with nine starters back from its 2005 group that won the C-USA Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Rice was picked to finish third in a preseason poll of C-USA head coaches. The Owls indeed had a great start at 9-0-1, but a closer look at how the season played out is in order. In a blink the nine starters quickly turned into seven when the Parliament lost two of its key players early in the year. All-conference sophomore forward Caitlin Robbins and 2005 C-USA Tournament offensive MVP Anne Candee have been sidelined for essentially the entire season. Some other returning Owls, including Christine Petric, Kirsten Seglem and Katlyn Ferguson, were sidelined early in September (with only Petric returning to recent game duty). In the Sept. 29 C-USA game against UCF star midfielder Samantha Conn had to be assisted off the field and has not returned. In the team's next game against Southern Miss (Oct. 1), senior defender Laura Barber had to be assisted off the field with an injury. On Oct. 15 freshman star Katelyn Ostendorf was the latest to be assisted off the field with an injury and she has not returned.
Rice averages a steady 19.9 shots per game, a figure that has helped the Owls tie for 23rd in the nation in scoring offense (2.24 goals per game). An overlooked statistic amid all the offensive fireworks is that Rice allows an average of only 10.4 shots per game. That's the third-lowest total in C-USA and the difference in the shots-average (+ 9.5) is where Rice enjoys its biggest advantage.
RICE FROSH RATE: With Rice's depth getting severely tested it's a good thing that the Owls' freshmen have stepped up and played so well. Four Rice true freshmen, including forward Erin Scott, defender Kellen Schugart, midfielder Shelley Wong and Ostendorf have combined to start 50 games. Schugart is just one of two Owls to start every game. Scott leads the team with new single season school records for both shots (69) and shots-on-goal (31). Freshman Stephanie Crain can officially be added to the ranks of the Rice rookies who are playing like veterans. Crain scored a pair of goals Oct. 1 against Southern Miss on her only two shot attempts of the entire weekend.
CHRIS HUSTON: Now in her sixth season at the helm of the Rice soccer program she started from scratch, Chris Huston has guided the Owls to an established spot alongside the more experienced teams in the state of Texas and the NCAA. Her 2005 team went on to set a host of records that culminated with a second-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Huston's won-loss record at Rice is 59-48-8. The two-time Western Athletic Conference coach of the year owns a career college coaching record of 81-64-10. The former standout at the University of North Carolina served as the head coach at the University of Houston for two years after starting that program in 1998. Huston owns a career C-USA regular season record of 24-13-2. She is aided by associate head coach Nicky Adams (Texas A&M, 2001; fourth year), assistant coach Justin Zoslow (Vanderbilt, 1986; third year) and first year volunteer assistant coach Craig Waibel, a MLS defender on the Houston Dynamo.
HOME SWEET HOME: It's a shame the Owls don't have any more games at home. In 53 games played on campus at the Rice Soccer Stadium, the team owns an all-time record of 34-15-4 (.679). Rice began the 2006 campaign with a 4-0 home record before suffering its first defeat on Sept. 29.
HAIL SENIORS!: Rain or shine, seven Rice seniors were honored before the start of the team's final home match against SMU on Sept. 15. Members of this senior class helped take the program to new heights the last four years. The senior honorees included Laura Barber (Spring), Maria Fadool (Colleyville), Kristina Hoban (San Diego), Amy McClintock (St. Louis, Mo.), Kirsten Seglem (Woodbridge, Va.), Vanessa Serrano (Missouri City), Lauren Stanley (Houston).
AMONG THE NCAA LEADERS: The Owls are tied for 23rd in the nation in scoring offense (2.24). Rice is also among the best in the country in shutout percentage (tied 29th, 0.53).
PREVIOUSLY: UAB scored three first half goals and held on for a 3-1 C-USA win over visiting Rice Oct. 22 on the road in Birmingham, Ala. A tackle in the box led to one Blazer goal and put the Owls down a player for the remainder of the contest. The Owls' lone goal was by Christine Petric from the top of the 18 past the keeper high and to the right side after a pass from Erin Scott. Rice had two excellent chances to score in the second period. Petric hit the crossbar on a penalty kick in the 61st minute and senior Laura Barber had a header corralled by the UAB keeper after a corner kick in the 84th minute.
BAKER'S DOZEN: A total of 13 different Owls have scored goals this season. Rice soccer wants to be sure to clarify this is in no way connected to the University's unofficial running club, Baker 13.
CAREER CLIMBERS: A number of Owls have quitely risen among the program's elite statistical rankings. Senior midfielder Maria Fadool moved into a tie for first place on the Owls' all-time list for career games played with 80. If she plays at Houston Friday, she sets the new Rice record for most games played in a career. Senior midfielder Vanessa Serrano is in sole possession of third place on the school's all time list games played with 79 and she is fourth on the Rice list for starts with 75.
THE RICE-HOUSTON SERIES: It may not be for the Bayou Bucket, Bayou Cup or Silver Glove, but the Rice-Houston soccer series is big. Bragging rights as the city's collegiate soccer champion are at stake for a full year. The Rice-Houston series history is deadlocked at 2-2-1, with the Owls winning two of the last three meetings by narrow 1-0 scores. The 2005 game ended in the series' only tie, 1-1. Every other Rice-Houston game has been determined by a one-goal margin. The Owls are 1-1 when facing the Cougars at Robertson Stadium.
Rice-Houston Soccer SeriesYear, Site Result Attendance2001, Rice UH, 2-1 1,3602002, Houston UH, 2-1 7112003, Rice Rice, 1-0 6302004, Houston Rice, 1-0 7042005, Rice tied, 1-1 1,087
QUICK ON THE COMPETITION: Houston (9-9-0, 3-5-0) has been playing well, winning two of their last three games. Houston averages 2.0 goals per game and has the second-highest saves total (100) in the league.
UP CLOSE WITH THE OWLS: This year fans will have two ways to get some extra insight to the Rice soccer team via the Internet. Senior midfielder Maria Fadool keeps a weekly web journal about Rice soccer and college life as one of the Owls' student-athletes. All the players will also be featured one-by-one in the 2006 edition of "Just For Kicks." Fans can check out these features at the following links.
Maria Fadool's weekly Rice soccer journal
Just For Kicks!
