VICTORY! Soccer Team Clips Memphis 2-1 Sunday At Home

Sunday, October 11

Rice Track/Soccer Stadium

1:00 PM

Rice University

3-9-2, 1-5-0

Memphis

9-5-0, 4-2-0

Memphis

Rice

VICTORY! Soccer Team Clips Memphis 2-1 Sunday At Home

10/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

Oct. 11, 2009

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HOUSTON -- Junior midielder Kate Edwards scored a pair of goals and that was all the room junior goalkeeper Catherine Fitzsimmons needed to help pace the Rice soccer team to a 2-1 Conference USA victory over two-time defending C-USA Tournament champion Memphis Sunday afternoon on campus at the Owls' Soccer Stadium. The game was taped for a television broadcast by CBS College Sports and is scheduled to air on Tuesday evening (Oct. 13).

Edwards put Rice on the board to open the scoring early in the contest. In the game's 12th minute, Rice senior forward Erin Scott was fouled in the Memphis box to setup and Owl penalty kick. Edwards stepped-up to take the attempt and blasted a shot past the Tiger keeper for a 1-0 advantage.

A veteran Memphis team, which had won each of the last two C-USA Tournament titles to advance to consecutive NCAA Tournaments, came right back and tied the contest in the 28th minute. Tiger forward Averi Hallman served a long crossing pass to Ashley Berra at the keeper's box. Berra converted on a close-range shot for her team-leading tenth goal of the season and a 1-1 game.

The Tiger score was the only mark on a sound and solid first-start of the season in-goal for Fitzsimmons. The keeper from Ann Arbor, Mich., made a pair of saves in working a season-long 90 minutes of action. She picked-up the win for her first career decision after the Owls moved in front for good in the second half.

In the 60th minute, senior Ashley Lucas placed a corner kick into traffic in front of the Tiger goal. Edwards opportunistically headed the ball for a shot and found the back of the net for her second goal of the game and a new 2-1 Rice lead. The Memphis offense continued to press with shots in the second half, but Rice hung-on for the remainder of the contest. With only a little more than 15 minutes of playing time through the first 13 games this season, Fitzsimmons savored the experience.

"It's a great win and I'm happy to do my part," Fitzsimmons said. "Everybody was clicking and playing well together. We had Alexa (Coralli), Ashley (Lucas), Katelyn (Ostendorf) and (Stephanie) Crain all going all-out on defense today. That's four seniors on the backline and they all gave me a lot of help. This was such a fun opportunity because our new goalkeeping coach (Sebastian Vecchio) came from Memphis. He mainly coaches the keepers, but everybody wanted to show him that he made a good choice by coming to Rice."

The Owls had secured the league win for its first victory since Sept. 13. The team snapped a five-game losing streak in conference where each of the last five outcomes was determined by a single goal.

"It was a great effort, one that we needed against a great team," said Rice head coach Chris Huston. "The key was that we were able to get on the board early. We talked (to the team) that if we can get ahead early, then no matter what happens the game can be ours late. Our midfielders knew that was where the game was going to be won today, in the midfield. They really stepped-it up, especially Kate with two goals. Her second goal was phenomenal with a header off a corner kick.

"We had a lot of great individual efforts," Huston added. "Our backline played well and I am proud of 'Cat.' today in goal. She played with a lot of confidence in her first start. The coaches have confidence in her, and I think her teammates do too."

For the game Memphis held a 12-7 lead in shots, but Rice had the advantage in shots-on-goal (5-3) and in corner kicks (6-5). The two-goal game by Edwards was the second of her career dating back almost exactly two years (vs. Houston on Oct.5, 2007). The standout from Westlake Village, Calif., is the first Owl to score twice in a game since Erin Scott had two goals at UCF last season.

Rice improved to 3-9-2 on the season and 1-5-0 in C-USA play. Memphis dropped to 9-5-0 overall and 4-2 against the league. The Owls next face nationally-ranked UCF on Friday (Oct. 16). Start time with the Knights is set for at 7 pm. The Blue & Gray then complete the current homestand against Southern Miss on Oct. 18.

Sunday's full box score appears at the above link.