Rice University
7-3-1
Houston
4-5-1
Owls Shut Out Houston 2-0
10/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
HOUSTON -- Freshman midfielder Kate Edwards scored a pair of goals while the defense posted another solid outing as the Rice soccer team coasted to a 2-0 shutout win over crosstown rival Houston in the Conference USA opener for both teams Friday evening at the Rice Soccer Stadium.
With the Owls' scoring leader providing the offensive punch and the defenders limiting Houston's attack to an austere four shots, the Blue & Gray took the positive first step all C-USA teams wanted to take as league play got underway. Rice out-shot UH 24-4 for the night and the team posted its fourth shutout of the season, the second in as many games, but stats aside there is also a little bit extra for this opener.
By defeating Houston the Owls won the rivalry game against its crosstown opponent for a second-straight season. In the annual battle for the city's collegiate soccer championship, Rice is 4-0-1 against UH dating back to 2003.
"It's a crosstown rivalry and I think both teams definitely get up for this game," Rice head coach Chris Huston said. "I think we played well and any win in conference is a good win. We created a lot of opportunities for ourselves and I'm thankful we got on the end of at least two of them. Kate and Shelley Wong were outstanding in the midfield and those two were the difference between a win and a loss."
Before Edwards got the ball rolling on the scoring, she opportunistically found the ball rolling at her feet a few yards in front of the goal and no one else around. In the 21st minute Rice defender Kellen Schugart blasted a free kick toward the Houston goal from the right wing after a foul. The kick was high, but looked like it might slip in an opening over the UH keeper at the mouth of the goal.
The ball didn't find the back of the net, but it did find the crossbar and deflected downward at a sharp angle to Edwards waiting on the left side. The freshman from Westlake Village, Calif., needed just a quick tap for a 1-0 lead the team would not relinquish.
"It was a scrappy goal," Edwards said. "I actually thought it was going over, then it hit the crossbar. It could have gone anywhere from there, but it came back right to me and I thought, 'oh... here we go,' and I just poked it in with my toe."
For as hard as Edwards has worked this season, including 86 physical minutes against UH where she finally had to be assisted off the field due to some cramping from the heat, the rookie maybe deserves to have one fall right at her feet every now and again. She had to go right back to work, however, for her second goal of the night in the second half. In the 64th minute senior Clory Martin laced a right corner kick into traffic around the keeper's box. Edwards made a read on the ball, broke through some containment and converted on a header from eight yards out.
"I was a little off the first couple of corner kicks I played and we didn't have much to show for it," Martin said. "If you give Kate something to work with, then she's going to make something happen. She's an exciting player and the team has a lot of confidence in her."
The freshman's second score of the night not only doubled the margin and added a little insurance to the scoreboard, it gave her eight goals on the year to tie for the second-highest single-season mark in school history. With a nose for the back of the net, there's only been four games this season where Edwards hasn't scored a goal.
Rice freshman goalkeeper Meghan Erkel made a pair of saves, the only two she's needed to make in the last two games. Houston hit the crossbar on one shot attempt in the second half. The Owls improved to 7-3-1 on the season and 1-0-0 in C-USA action. The Cougars fell to 4-5-1 overall and 0-1-0 against the league.
The Owls next host C-USA rivals UAB and Memphis for a pair of games next weekend at the Rice Track/Soccer Stadium. The team meets UAB at 7 pm on Friday (Oct. 12) followed by Memphis at 1 pm on Oct. 14.
Team Stats
Kate Edwards (7)
Assisted By: Kellen Schugart
free kick deflected off the crossbar
20:28
Kate Edwards (8)
Assisted By: Clory Martin
header off a corner from eight feet
63:56
