Friday, April 2
Birmingham, AL
7 pm
Rice University
at
UAB
Soccer Plays Friday At UAB
3/31/2021 10:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Owls Put Win Streak On The Line In C-USA Road Match
RICE SOCCER at UAB | April 2 at 7 PM | Watch | Live Stats
(Internet features activate at game time)
Rice (8-2-0, 3-1-0) returns to the road for Conference USA league play with a West Division match this week. The Owls travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to face UAB at 7 pm on Friday (April 2). The C-USA showdown is Rice's lone match of the week.
QUICK ON THE OWLS: 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.
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 in in full swing! 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 305-196-58. Lee's Rice coaching staff includes Megan Kinneman, Travis Curson and new volunteer assistant Lianne Mananquil.
SERIES HISTORY vs. UAB: Rice leads the series with UAB 8-5-0 dating back to the first meeting in 2005 when the Owls joined Conference USA. The Blue & Gray is 2-4-0 in games played at UAB and hasn't won in Birmingham since 2014.
DID YOU KNOW?: Rice was to play Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., in 2018, but the match was never started due to weather conditions.
PREVIOUS OUTING: HOUSTON — With one of its best efforts of the year the Rice Soccer team grabbed a share of first place in the Conference USA West Division standings with a convincing 4-0 victory over visiting Southern Miss Sunday afternoon at the Owls' Holloway Field. Southern Miss entered the contest with three straight wins and sole possession of first place in the league's West Division, but it was Rice that quickly went on the offensive with an early goal and never looked back. After a USM foul in their own territory in the 14th minute, Owl junior goalkeeper Bella Killgore came across the center line to take the free kick. From some 25 yards out Killgore blasted the ball and found the back of the USM net for a 1-0 advantage. The Blue & Gray continued to apply the offensive pressure and lit up the scoreboard again in the 29th minute. Rebecca Keane darted with the ball in front of the goal outside the 18, but passed wide to true freshman Mikala Furuto on the left wing when defenders closed the space. With some room and time the Rice rookie settled the serve and fired her first shot (and only) shot of the day to notch her fourth goal of the season. The second stanza played much like the first. In the 51st minute senior Haley Kostyshyn sprinted with the ball wide on the right wing, drawing the full attention of the Golden Eagle backline. The threat created some daylight in front of the goal, where a rocket pass back to freshman Natalie Gorgi made for an easy one-touch score. The Owls stretched the margin to 4-0 in the 69th minute with some quick pinball-like play from Furuto to Izzy McBride to Delaney Schultz, who finished the rapid fire sequence with a goal to an almost open net.
• With the win Rice moved into a three-way tie for first place in the C-USA West Division along with Southern Miss and North Texas. The trio are deadlocked with nine points each.
• It was the second time in as many games for the Owls to score two first half goals.
• Rice finished with an 18-11 advantage in shots and held an 8-2 lead in corner kicks.
• The Owls are 6-1-0 this spring at Holloway Field.
• Schultz is the first Owl to score in four straight games since Rebecca Keane in 2017 (Tulsa, FAU, LA Tech, WKU).
• Almost lost in all the offensive fireworks was a third straight shutout by the defense. Killgore stretched her scoreless minutes streak to 339:21.
• After meeting for the first time in 2005, Rice improved its career series record vs. Southern Miss to 12-0-0.
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.
(Internet features activate at game time)
Rice (8-2-0, 3-1-0) returns to the road for Conference USA league play with a West Division match this week. The Owls travel to Birmingham, Alabama, to face UAB at 7 pm on Friday (April 2). The C-USA showdown is Rice's lone match of the week.
QUICK ON THE OWLS: 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.
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 in in full swing! 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 305-196-58. Lee's Rice coaching staff includes Megan Kinneman, Travis Curson and new volunteer assistant Lianne Mananquil.
SERIES HISTORY vs. UAB: Rice leads the series with UAB 8-5-0 dating back to the first meeting in 2005 when the Owls joined Conference USA. The Blue & Gray is 2-4-0 in games played at UAB and hasn't won in Birmingham since 2014.
DID YOU KNOW?: Rice was to play Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., in 2018, but the match was never started due to weather conditions.
PREVIOUS OUTING: HOUSTON — With one of its best efforts of the year the Rice Soccer team grabbed a share of first place in the Conference USA West Division standings with a convincing 4-0 victory over visiting Southern Miss Sunday afternoon at the Owls' Holloway Field. Southern Miss entered the contest with three straight wins and sole possession of first place in the league's West Division, but it was Rice that quickly went on the offensive with an early goal and never looked back. After a USM foul in their own territory in the 14th minute, Owl junior goalkeeper Bella Killgore came across the center line to take the free kick. From some 25 yards out Killgore blasted the ball and found the back of the USM net for a 1-0 advantage. The Blue & Gray continued to apply the offensive pressure and lit up the scoreboard again in the 29th minute. Rebecca Keane darted with the ball in front of the goal outside the 18, but passed wide to true freshman Mikala Furuto on the left wing when defenders closed the space. With some room and time the Rice rookie settled the serve and fired her first shot (and only) shot of the day to notch her fourth goal of the season. The second stanza played much like the first. In the 51st minute senior Haley Kostyshyn sprinted with the ball wide on the right wing, drawing the full attention of the Golden Eagle backline. The threat created some daylight in front of the goal, where a rocket pass back to freshman Natalie Gorgi made for an easy one-touch score. The Owls stretched the margin to 4-0 in the 69th minute with some quick pinball-like play from Furuto to Izzy McBride to Delaney Schultz, who finished the rapid fire sequence with a goal to an almost open net.
• With the win Rice moved into a three-way tie for first place in the C-USA West Division along with Southern Miss and North Texas. The trio are deadlocked with nine points each.
• It was the second time in as many games for the Owls to score two first half goals.
• Rice finished with an 18-11 advantage in shots and held an 8-2 lead in corner kicks.
• The Owls are 6-1-0 this spring at Holloway Field.
• Schultz is the first Owl to score in four straight games since Rebecca Keane in 2017 (Tulsa, FAU, LA Tech, WKU).
• Almost lost in all the offensive fireworks was a third straight shutout by the defense. Killgore stretched her scoreless minutes streak to 339:21.
• After meeting for the first time in 2005, Rice improved its career series record vs. Southern Miss to 12-0-0.
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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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
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/ Women's Soccer
MF
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