Thursday, March 11
at U.H. Soccer Complex
5 pm
Rice University
at
Houston
Photo by: Maria Lysaker
Tough Tests Ahead For Soccer
3/10/2021 5:02:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Rice Plays At U.H. Thursday; Owls Host Texas A&M Sunday
RICE SOCCER at Houston | March 11 at 5 PM | Watch | Live Stats
RICE SOCCER vs. Texas A&M | March 14 at 3 PM | Watch | Live Stats
(Internet features activate at game time)
Rice takes a brief break from Conference USA league play with a pair of non-conference games this week. The Owls travel across town to the University of Houston to face the Cougars at 5 pm on Thursday (March 11). Rice is then back home at Holloway Field to host national power Texas A&M at 3 pm on Sunday (March 14).
QUICK ON THE OWLS (4-1-0, 1-1-0): The 2020-21 Rice soccer team returns eight of 11 starters from last season's squad that went 10-6-3 and won a game in the Conference USA Tournament. The Owls return a total of 20 letterwinners from a year ago and welcome in a talented new recruiting class.
FOR THIS SEASON: Thanks to the Rice Crisis Management Team's approval of a set of protocols for outdoor athletic venues. Seating will be limited at the matches this spring and all tickets will be General Admission. Tickets will be distributed to season ticket members, player families and students. Fans will be required to wear masks at all times and sit six feet apart from the next group. There are no concessions at Holloway Field this season, but fans are allowed to bring food and drink provided they are masked unless actively eating or drinking. Parking for soccer is free in West Lot 6 or in the lot behind Tudor Fieldhouse on dates when there are no conflicting events at Tudor nor Reckling Park. Season tickets for the 2021 campaign are currently on sale. Season ticket members can renew their seats online at Riceowls.com/myaccount and new season tickets can be purchased here. Any ticketing questions should be directed to the ticket office by calling 713-348-6957 or emailing tickets@rice.edu
20th SEASON OF RICE SOCCER: It may have taken a little extra time to get here, but the 20th anniversary season of Rice Owls Soccer has arrived! After starting a full-scholarship soccer program for the first time in 2001, the fall of 2020 was expected to be the 20th anniversary season of the program. Soccer and a lot of sports around the college landscape, however, were delayed due to the world-wide illness. The NCAA is sanctioning spring soccer this semester with a national championship tournament scheduled for the end of the regular season.
OWL IN: The Owl In logo represents the continued commitment of Rice Athletics' student-athletes, coaches, and staff to come together for positive change throughout our department, campus, and world. With increased efforts in education, policy development, and action as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, members of the Rice Athletics community will become better equipped to ensure we can fulfill our department's desire to be a more inclusive and welcoming place. To learn more about being Owl In, visit RiceOwls.com/OwlIn.
COACH'S CORNER: Rice soccer is under the direction of head coach Brian Lee, who is in his second season at the helm of the program. A 2018 finalist for National Coach of the Year and with more than 25 years of experience as a Division I head coach, Lee enters this week's action with a career record of 301-195-58. Lee's Rice coaching staff includes Megan Kinneman, Travis Curson and new volunteer assistant Lianne Mananquil.
HOUSTON GAME IS HERE: The Rice and University of Houston soccer match was originally scheduled for March 3 but was postponed for eight days.
SERIES HISTORY vs. HOUSTON: Rice leads the all-time series with Houston 8-3-3. On January 30 of this year the teams played a preseason exhibition at Rice's Holloway Field where U.H. claimed a 1-0 win. Officially the Owls are 3-2-1 vs. the Cougars when playing on the U.H. campus (excluding an exhibition matches).
DID YOU KNOW?: From 2005-2012 Rice and Houston played every year as conference opponents.
TEXAS A&M ADDED TO SCHEDULE: Rice was originally scheduled to play SMU on March 14 (Sunday). Covid issues within the Mustangs program, however, forced the cancellation of that match a few days before it was to be played. One door closed, but another door opened. The Owls were able to schedule national power Texas A&M for the same date (at a new 3 pm start time).
SERIES HISTORY vs. TEXAS A&M: Texas A&M leads this soccer series 5-0-0. The matchup is the first meeting between the two teams since 2016. The Aggies have played at Rice twice since 2008, with the most recent match at Holloway Field in 2015.
LAST TIME: The visiting North Texas soccer team scored two first half goals and held off a second half Rice rally to claim a 2-1 Conference USA win over the Owls on March 7 at Holloway Field in Houston. North Texas quickly built a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. In the eighth minute Brooke Lampe converted a header off a free kick delivered by Madi Starrett. In the 24th minute, Berklee Peters played Taylor Tufts' corner kick to the back of the Rice goal for a 2-0 margin. Down but not out, Rice continued to battle. The Owls turned up the shots total and pressed forward for a 4-0 advantage in second half corner kicks. In the 82nd minute Mijke Roelfsema spun a curving rocket from the right corner that zoomed into the back of the Mean Green net. Rice was certain it had earned a penalty kick opportunity in the 87th minute, but was denied the chance to shoot from the mark.
Notes & Stats
• Senior Mijke Roelfsema's goal last Sunday was her first as a Rice Owl. The defender from The Netherlands is in her second and final year with the program after joining Rice from Atlantic Coach Conference program Boston College in 2019.
• North Texas held a 22-10 advantage in shots. Rice led the corner kicks 4-3.
• In 14 career meetings Rice is now 3-8-3 vs. North Texas, including a 2-2-2 ledger when playing at home in Houston. The Owls have not beaten North Texas in eight straight meetings dating back to the Championship Final of the C-USA Tournament in 2013.
C-USA PRESEASON ACCOLADES: IRVING, Texas – Led by the duo of Mijke Roelfsema and Delaney Schultz as preseason Conference USA honorees, the Rice soccer team was picked to finish second in the C-USA West Division in the league's head coaches' poll announced on January 26. The preseason all-conference honors and ranking were determined on a vote of the 14 C-USA head soccer coaches. It is the eighth-straight year for Rice to be picked to finish among the league's Top 3 teams in the annual head coaches' poll. Defending regular season co-champions North Texas and Florida Atlantic were picked to finish first in the league's West and East Divisions, respectively.
SEC STANDOUT JOINS OWLS: Coach Lee announced the addition of SEC junior transfer Serena Pham to the Owls' roster, to be eligible for competition starting the Fall of 2021. Pham, a midfielder originally from Chantilly, Virginia, played the previous two seasons at Alabama (2019-2020). She appeared in a total of 28 matches for the Crimson Tide with 15 starting assignments. In 2019 Pham recorded the most assists by a freshman in Alabama soccer history (6). Two of her assists in 2019 were on both Tide goals in the 2-1 win at Rice on August 29. It is also worth noting the program has enjoyed great success when ACC transfer Mijke Roelfsema (originally at Boston College and now an Owl senior) joined Rice in Lee's first year at the helm of the program.
RICE SOCCER vs. Texas A&M | March 14 at 3 PM | Watch | Live Stats
(Internet features activate at game time)
Rice takes a brief break from Conference USA league play with a pair of non-conference games this week. The Owls travel across town to the University of Houston to face the Cougars at 5 pm on Thursday (March 11). Rice is then back home at Holloway Field to host national power Texas A&M at 3 pm on Sunday (March 14).
QUICK ON THE OWLS (4-1-0, 1-1-0): The 2020-21 Rice soccer team returns eight of 11 starters from last season's squad that went 10-6-3 and won a game in the Conference USA Tournament. The Owls return a total of 20 letterwinners from a year ago and welcome in a talented new recruiting class.
FOR THIS SEASON: Thanks to the Rice Crisis Management Team's approval of a set of protocols for outdoor athletic venues. Seating will be limited at the matches this spring and all tickets will be General Admission. Tickets will be distributed to season ticket members, player families and students. Fans will be required to wear masks at all times and sit six feet apart from the next group. There are no concessions at Holloway Field this season, but fans are allowed to bring food and drink provided they are masked unless actively eating or drinking. Parking for soccer is free in West Lot 6 or in the lot behind Tudor Fieldhouse on dates when there are no conflicting events at Tudor nor Reckling Park. Season tickets for the 2021 campaign are currently on sale. Season ticket members can renew their seats online at Riceowls.com/myaccount and new season tickets can be purchased here. Any ticketing questions should be directed to the ticket office by calling 713-348-6957 or emailing tickets@rice.edu
20th SEASON OF RICE SOCCER: It may have taken a little extra time to get here, but the 20th anniversary season of Rice Owls Soccer has arrived! After starting a full-scholarship soccer program for the first time in 2001, the fall of 2020 was expected to be the 20th anniversary season of the program. Soccer and a lot of sports around the college landscape, however, were delayed due to the world-wide illness. The NCAA is sanctioning spring soccer this semester with a national championship tournament scheduled for the end of the regular season.
OWL IN: The Owl In logo represents the continued commitment of Rice Athletics' student-athletes, coaches, and staff to come together for positive change throughout our department, campus, and world. With increased efforts in education, policy development, and action as it relates to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice, members of the Rice Athletics community will become better equipped to ensure we can fulfill our department's desire to be a more inclusive and welcoming place. To learn more about being Owl In, visit RiceOwls.com/OwlIn.
COACH'S CORNER: Rice soccer is under the direction of head coach Brian Lee, who is in his second season at the helm of the program. A 2018 finalist for National Coach of the Year and with more than 25 years of experience as a Division I head coach, Lee enters this week's action with a career record of 301-195-58. Lee's Rice coaching staff includes Megan Kinneman, Travis Curson and new volunteer assistant Lianne Mananquil.
HOUSTON GAME IS HERE: The Rice and University of Houston soccer match was originally scheduled for March 3 but was postponed for eight days.
SERIES HISTORY vs. HOUSTON: Rice leads the all-time series with Houston 8-3-3. On January 30 of this year the teams played a preseason exhibition at Rice's Holloway Field where U.H. claimed a 1-0 win. Officially the Owls are 3-2-1 vs. the Cougars when playing on the U.H. campus (excluding an exhibition matches).
DID YOU KNOW?: From 2005-2012 Rice and Houston played every year as conference opponents.
TEXAS A&M ADDED TO SCHEDULE: Rice was originally scheduled to play SMU on March 14 (Sunday). Covid issues within the Mustangs program, however, forced the cancellation of that match a few days before it was to be played. One door closed, but another door opened. The Owls were able to schedule national power Texas A&M for the same date (at a new 3 pm start time).
SERIES HISTORY vs. TEXAS A&M: Texas A&M leads this soccer series 5-0-0. The matchup is the first meeting between the two teams since 2016. The Aggies have played at Rice twice since 2008, with the most recent match at Holloway Field in 2015.
LAST TIME: The visiting North Texas soccer team scored two first half goals and held off a second half Rice rally to claim a 2-1 Conference USA win over the Owls on March 7 at Holloway Field in Houston. North Texas quickly built a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. In the eighth minute Brooke Lampe converted a header off a free kick delivered by Madi Starrett. In the 24th minute, Berklee Peters played Taylor Tufts' corner kick to the back of the Rice goal for a 2-0 margin. Down but not out, Rice continued to battle. The Owls turned up the shots total and pressed forward for a 4-0 advantage in second half corner kicks. In the 82nd minute Mijke Roelfsema spun a curving rocket from the right corner that zoomed into the back of the Mean Green net. Rice was certain it had earned a penalty kick opportunity in the 87th minute, but was denied the chance to shoot from the mark.
Notes & Stats
• Senior Mijke Roelfsema's goal last Sunday was her first as a Rice Owl. The defender from The Netherlands is in her second and final year with the program after joining Rice from Atlantic Coach Conference program Boston College in 2019.
• North Texas held a 22-10 advantage in shots. Rice led the corner kicks 4-3.
• In 14 career meetings Rice is now 3-8-3 vs. North Texas, including a 2-2-2 ledger when playing at home in Houston. The Owls have not beaten North Texas in eight straight meetings dating back to the Championship Final of the C-USA Tournament in 2013.
C-USA PRESEASON ACCOLADES: IRVING, Texas – Led by the duo of Mijke Roelfsema and Delaney Schultz as preseason Conference USA honorees, the Rice soccer team was picked to finish second in the C-USA West Division in the league's head coaches' poll announced on January 26. The preseason all-conference honors and ranking were determined on a vote of the 14 C-USA head soccer coaches. It is the eighth-straight year for Rice to be picked to finish among the league's Top 3 teams in the annual head coaches' poll. Defending regular season co-champions North Texas and Florida Atlantic were picked to finish first in the league's West and East Divisions, respectively.
SEC STANDOUT JOINS OWLS: Coach Lee announced the addition of SEC junior transfer Serena Pham to the Owls' roster, to be eligible for competition starting the Fall of 2021. Pham, a midfielder originally from Chantilly, Virginia, played the previous two seasons at Alabama (2019-2020). She appeared in a total of 28 matches for the Crimson Tide with 15 starting assignments. In 2019 Pham recorded the most assists by a freshman in Alabama soccer history (6). Two of her assists in 2019 were on both Tide goals in the 2-1 win at Rice on August 29. It is also worth noting the program has enjoyed great success when ACC transfer Mijke Roelfsema (originally at Boston College and now an Owl senior) joined Rice in Lee's first year at the helm of the program.
Players Mentioned
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Wednesday, March 09
VB: Rice-Texas Postgame Presser
Saturday, December 04
VB: Rice-San Diego Postgame Presser
Thursday, December 02