Rice University
-781, 541 CUSA
Charlotte
-89, 46 CUSA
In With The Win
10/28/2018 5:21:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Soccer Team Advances To C-USA Championship With 2-1 Victory
Rice advanced to the C-USA's postseason event for the ninth year in a row under head coach Nicky Adams. The Owls finished the regular season with a 7-8-1 overall record and a 5-4-1 mark in league play for a three-way tie for sixth place in the conference standings. The Blue & Gray will be the No. 8 seed at the C-USA Championship and play No. 1 seed North Texas on Wednesday (Oct. 31). Start time for the match has been set for 3:30 Central Time (4:30 pm Eastern).
From the start Rice clearly would not be playing for the safety blanket tie. The Owls reached double-digit shots by the end of the first half to go along with a pair of corner kicks. Charlotte turned away Rice threats before the first goal of the contest in the 34th minute. After a 49er foul true freshman Delaney Schultz set up for a free kick in front of the goal just outside the 18.
Schultz launched a rocket shot outside the Charlotte player-wall and, for what seems to have been a running theme for the Owls all season, promptly hit the post (on the right side). This time, however, something different happened.
Instead of the ball rebounding back into play like on the other shots off the framework the team has endured all season long, this time the ball deflected almost straight-left. With force to spare the ball lined directly past the stripe and into the goal's left side netting. Perhaps it was some soccer-karma from the mindset of playing to win, or at least the law of averages, but Schultz' second goal of the season put the Owls in front 1-0.
A hungry Charlotte team that was also trying to play its way into the C-USA Tournament, would not go away so easily at home. In the 43rd minute the 49ers found the equalizer on a goal by Megan Green after corner kick from Riley Orr.
Rice was back to work in the second stanza. As Charlotte defenders were attempting to clear the ball away from deep in their defensive third of the field, Owl Lianne Mananquil improvised a game-changer. The junior midfielder snuck in from behind two 49ers on the left wing, stole the ball off the foot of one, and turned to the goal. From inside the 18 she quickly shot at the top right corner and slipped the ball under the crossbar to the back of the Charlotte net.
The C-USA assist leader now had a goal of her own and a 2-1 Rice lead. Mananquil's four shots led Rice's 14-shot attack. Both goalkeepers finished with four saves each as the Owls hung-on for the 2-1 final. Charlotte dropped to 8-9-0 overall and 4-6-0 in conference.
Next stop C-USA Tournament, where there is no other option than to play to win. The 2018 C-USA Championship bracket PDF is available at the above link.
Team Stats
Delaney Schultz (2)
Free kick from 20 yards off right post
33:44
GREENE, Megan (8)
Assisted By: ORR, Riley
Header to right post on CK
42:48
Lianne Mananquil (2)
Stole pass, one-step around D and high s
57:42
