East Carolina Tops Rice Soccer Team 2-0

Friday, September 26

Rice Track/Soccer Stadium

7:00 PM

Rice University

4-4-0, 0-1-0

East Carolina

6-3-0, 1-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
East Carolina	1	1	2
Rice	0	0	0

<b>The Owls next host Marshall on Sunday at 1 pm.</b>

9/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Sept. 26, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON -- East Carolina scored goals in each half to claim a 2-0 Conference USA win over the Rice soccer team in the league opener for both teams Friday evening at the Owls' Track & Soccer Stadium in Houston.

Rice was looking for a rhythm after injuries once again drastically altered the lineup for the third time in as many games. If you are scoring at home four key Owls have been sidelined on defense alone, including a different fallen starter on the backline in each of the two previous games. The Conference USA part of the soccer schedule is a tough enough place to try to orchestrate a new and untested rhythm, and injuries mean the Owls are trying to do so without half the notes in the musical scale.

Unwavering in the adversity the recent injuries have bestowed, Rice head coach Chris Huston remains confident in the positive. The head coach explained that regardless which Owls may now be forced to play where, it is consistency of effort that is music to her ears.

"Any time you lose players to injury it's an adjustment, but we have a lot of great and versatile players on this team so I don't think injuries were the issue tonight," Huston said. "East Carolina is a good team in a good conference. Every team in the conference, every team we play from here on out, will be a good team who will come out and give 100 percent. That means we have to give 100 percent for 90 minutes. We did not do that tonight. I saw positive things and some performances we can build-on, but we did not play our best soccer for 90 minutes and that hurt us."

Rice outshot East Carolina 15-7 in the contest and held a 6-5 advantage in corner kicks. The Pirates were able to go to the bench more frequently and that's where it found both scores on the night. ECU junior Alexis Foltz came off the bench to score the game's first goal. In the 39th minute, Foltz fielded a pass from Savanna Ruso and hit a shot from inside the 18-yard line to the right side. In the 69th minute Amanda Broz scored for the Pirates on a shot through traffic after a corner kick by Russo. Russo tallied a pair of assists in the contest.

Trailing 1-0 Rice sophomore Jordan Holloway nearly tied the game in the 67th minute. Her shot was past the Pirate goalkeeper, but ECU defenders managed to clear the ball away in time. Without the team-save the game could have tied 1-1 with over 20 minutes left in regulation, but the Pirates came right back two minutes later and added Broz' insurance goal to stretch the margin to 2-0. Holloway was one of eight different Owls to take a shot on goal. Junior midfielder Shelley Wong played the entire 90 minutes and led all players with three shots.

Among the myriad of Rice injuries, the Owls actually managed to get at least one player back. Freshman Chealsey Russell made her collegiate debut after being sidelined the first seven games of the season. The Springfield, Mo., native came off the bench to play 43 minutes.

"It was good to get Chealsey back," said fellow freshman Amy Beger, a longtime teammate of Russell's after the two played on the same club for a number of years back home in Missouri. Beger, who scored two goals and had an assist as a starting forward against McNeese State just two games ago, played a sound and solid 90 minutes as a new starter on defense Friday against ECU.

"It was an adjustment and my teammates helped me through it," Beger said. "We didn't win, but we got this game under our belts we'll move forward."

Rice is now 4-4-0 on the season and 0-1-0 in C-USA action. East Carolina improved to 6-3-0 overall and 1-0-0 against the league. The Blue & Gray next hosts league foe Marshall in a C-USA match on Sunday (Sept. 28) as the team's six-game home stand continues. Start time with the Thundering Herd is set for 1 pm at Rice.