Soccer Team Defeats SMU 2-1 Friday Night At Home

Friday, October 3

Rice Track/Soccer Stadium

7:00 PM

Rice University

6-4-0, 2-1-0

SMU

3-7-1, 1-2-0

Team	1	2	Final F
SMU	0	1	1
Rice	1	1	2

Soccer Team Defeats SMU 2-1 Friday Night At Home

10/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Oct. 3, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON -- Junior forward Erin Scott's game-winning goal in the 75th minute was the difference in the Rice soccer team's 2-1 Conference USA victory over visiting SMU Friday evening at the Owls' Soccer Stadium in Houston. Not only did the victory help the Blue & Gray keep pace in the C-USA standings, the win was the 100th in the career of Rice head coach Chris Huston.

Huston, now midway through her eighth season at Rice and her tenth overall as a collegiate head coach, reached the century mark in career wins. Scott, a Dallas-area native from Richardson, Tex., along with sophomore midfielder Kate Edwards provided the scoring punch. Rice goalkeeper Meghan Erkel made five saves to help the Owls secure Friday's victory that allowed the head coach to reach the milestone. After the game the entire Rice team presented their coach with a memento of a signed soccer ball and flowers.

"I didn't know about 100 wins so it was all a surprise to me," Huston said. "I am more happy to win a conference game and for us to play well. The composure at clutch times really helped us. We were better organized defensively, and we created a lot of chances. When we created the chances we were able to get on the and finish."

Edwards opened the scoring early in the first half. A Mustang foul in the box in the 16th minute set up a Rice penalty kick. Edwards blasted the team's first PK attempt of the year to the back of the net for a 1-0 lead and her second goal of the season.

SMU battled its way back in the second half and tied the game. In the 59th minute Lauren Shepherd sailed a corner kick into traffic in front of the Rice goal. Erkel punched it away on a leap, but SMU freshman midfielder Dylan Jordan alertly headed the ball in for her first career goal to make the score 1-1.

There was still plenty of time for both teams and the rivals continued to go back-and-forth. The Rice defense was put under pressure as SMU out-shot Rice 15 to 12 in the game, but the backline was able to corral the Mustang attack. The defensive foursome of Alexa Coralli, Stephanie Crain, Chealsey Russell and Kellen Schugart all played the entire 90 minutes of the contest. Schugart was doing her part for a solid defensive game, and doing so on her birthday no less, but the team couldn't celebrate yet.

Finally in the 75th minute, the Rice freshman Annie Kadota swung a pass from the left wing out to fellow freshman Amy Beger toward the left corner. Before the defense could spin to adjust to position, Beger already served the ball to the center where Scott was waiting from less than 10 yards from the goal.

Scott settled the ball and hit the shot that broke the deadlock. The score was her third of the season. Not only has Rice been trying improve that specific area of the offense, playing a talented SMU program seems to hit close to home for Scott.

"We've been working on getting endline and we did a better job of it tonight," Scott said. "Beger played a beautiful ball back across the goal. She made it easy. SMU is a good program, I know at least six of their girls pretty well. It feels good to play well and get a win."

The win was only the second time for Rice to defeat SMU since the program was started under coach Huston in 2001. It was also the first over the Ponies in the city of Houston in four tries. With so many angles - from a coaching milestone, to a conference and state rivalry, to one player's birthday and ex-patriot scoring the deciding goal, a lot seemed to be thrown in the mix all at once on Friday night. That was fine by coach Huston.

"I am happy for the team because we had a performance that we can be proud of," Huston said. "I was happy for the team, but they gave me a signed ball and some flowers. Very cool!"

The Owls improved to 6-4 on the season and 2-1 in Conference USA games. SMU fell to 3-7-1 on the year and 1-2 in league play. Rice concludes the weekend's C-USA action with a home game against longtime rival Tulsa on Sunday (Oct. 5). The conference clash with the Golden Hurricane, which closes out a lengthy six-game homestand for the Blue & Gray, is slated for 1 pm at the Rice Soccer Stadium.