Photo by: Maria Lysaker
No. 22 Rice Soccer Hosts Lamar in Exhibition Action
8/13/2021 2:31:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HOUSTON — The 22nd-ranked Rice Soccer team will open the 2021 season this Saturday, August 14, when it hosts Lamar in an exhibition at 6 p.m. from Holloway Field.
Exhibition
What: Rice vs. Lamar
When: Saturday, August 14 at 6 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Holloway Field (1,500)
Television: YouTube
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Rice leads 3-0 (2-0 in Houston)
Scouting Rice
• Head Coach Brian Lee enters his third season at the helm of the Rice soccer program. He holds a 24-9-4 record in two seasons and 311-197-59 in 24 years as a head coach.
• Rice welcomes back 17 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's squad that went 14-3-1, won the Conference USA championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen
• Senior defender Mijke Roelfsema leads the backend after earning First Team All-America honors last year.
• Rice returns its top eight goal scorers from last year, led by second year freshman Mikala Furuto who tallied six and juniors Delaney Schultz and Madison Kent, who added five apiece.
• Goalkeeper Bella Killgore mans the box for Owls a year after becoming only the second player in school history to play every minute. Her performance propelled her to Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year and All-South Region honors.
• The Owls welcome seven newcomers to the squad, including six true freshmen and one transfer.
Scouting Lamar
• Lamar enters the 2021 season after finishing 8-4 last year, including 7-3 in the Southland Conference.
• Head coach Steve Holeman enters his sixth season at the helm of the Lamar soccer program.
• The Cardinals return 12 players from last year's squad and welcome nine newcomers, including eight freshmen and one transfer.
• Forward Christine Kitaru is the Cardinals leading returning scorer, as she was second on the team in with five goals and 13 points.
• Goalkeeper Nicole Panis returns after earning Second Team All-Southland Conference honors. She started all 12 matches, making 74 saves with a 1.15 goals against average.
Rice-Lamar Series History
• Rice and Lamar have met three times in the regular season.
• The Owls have won all three meetings, including two at Holloway Field.
• The series dates back to 2007, a 5-0 victory.
• In 2013, Rice held off the Cardinals, 4-3.
• A year later, the Owls won the first match in Beaumont, 2-0.
• This is the second time that the teams will meet in exhibition play. They also met in 2019, with Rice taking a 4-1 decision.
Rice Makes Ranking History
• For the first time in school history, the Rice Soccer program is ranked in the preseason national polls.
• The Owls are ranked 22nd in both the TopDrawerSoccer and United Soccer coaches preseason polls.
• Last year, Rice finished the year ranked 16th in both polls.
Next Up
• Rice opens the 2021 regular season hosting seven of its first eight games, beginning with the season opener on Thursday, August 19 against Sam Houston State at 7 p.m.
Exhibition
What: Rice vs. Lamar
When: Saturday, August 14 at 6 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Holloway Field (1,500)
Television: YouTube
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Rice leads 3-0 (2-0 in Houston)
Scouting Rice
• Head Coach Brian Lee enters his third season at the helm of the Rice soccer program. He holds a 24-9-4 record in two seasons and 311-197-59 in 24 years as a head coach.
• Rice welcomes back 17 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's squad that went 14-3-1, won the Conference USA championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen
• Senior defender Mijke Roelfsema leads the backend after earning First Team All-America honors last year.
• Rice returns its top eight goal scorers from last year, led by second year freshman Mikala Furuto who tallied six and juniors Delaney Schultz and Madison Kent, who added five apiece.
• Goalkeeper Bella Killgore mans the box for Owls a year after becoming only the second player in school history to play every minute. Her performance propelled her to Conference USA Goalkeeper of the Year and All-South Region honors.
• The Owls welcome seven newcomers to the squad, including six true freshmen and one transfer.
Scouting Lamar
• Lamar enters the 2021 season after finishing 8-4 last year, including 7-3 in the Southland Conference.
• Head coach Steve Holeman enters his sixth season at the helm of the Lamar soccer program.
• The Cardinals return 12 players from last year's squad and welcome nine newcomers, including eight freshmen and one transfer.
• Forward Christine Kitaru is the Cardinals leading returning scorer, as she was second on the team in with five goals and 13 points.
• Goalkeeper Nicole Panis returns after earning Second Team All-Southland Conference honors. She started all 12 matches, making 74 saves with a 1.15 goals against average.
Rice-Lamar Series History
• Rice and Lamar have met three times in the regular season.
• The Owls have won all three meetings, including two at Holloway Field.
• The series dates back to 2007, a 5-0 victory.
• In 2013, Rice held off the Cardinals, 4-3.
• A year later, the Owls won the first match in Beaumont, 2-0.
• This is the second time that the teams will meet in exhibition play. They also met in 2019, with Rice taking a 4-1 decision.
Rice Makes Ranking History
• For the first time in school history, the Rice Soccer program is ranked in the preseason national polls.
• The Owls are ranked 22nd in both the TopDrawerSoccer and United Soccer coaches preseason polls.
• Last year, Rice finished the year ranked 16th in both polls.
Next Up
• Rice opens the 2021 regular season hosting seven of its first eight games, beginning with the season opener on Thursday, August 19 against Sam Houston State at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
MF
/ Women's Soccer
MF
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
MF
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