No. 16 Rice Soccer Opens 2021 Season against Sam Houston
8/18/2021 4:42:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HOUSTON — The 16th-ranked Rice Soccer team opens the 2021 regular season this Thursday, August 19, when it hosts Sam Houston. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be livestreamed at CUSAtv.
Match 1
What: Rice vs. Sam Houston
When: Thursday, August 19 at 7 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Holloway Field (1,500)
Television: CUSAtv
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Rice leads 5-0 (4-0 in at Holloway Field)
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 goals 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 Sam Houston
• Head Coach Tom Brown enters his 13th season at the helm of the Sam Houston soccer program. He holds a 97-128-22 record at the school and is 222-247-46 in 27 years as a head coach.
• SHSU was picked fifth in the WAC Southwest Division after finishing 7-6-1 last year.
• The Bearkats welcome back 14 letterwinners from last year's squad, including its top four starters.
• Forward Brooke Jones is the Bearkats leading returning scorer, as she led the squad with five goals and 11 points to earn Second Team All-Southland Conference honors.
• Midfield Grace Stine returns after placing second on the team with four goals and forward Landri Townsend was the only other player to reach double-figures in points with 10.
• Goalkeepers Abby DeLozier and Tatum Krueger also return after splitting time last year.
Rice-Sam Houston Series History
• This will be the sixth meeting between Rice and Sam Houston and the first since 2016.
• Rice has won the previous five meetings.
• In fact, four of the five have been shutouts, as Rice has outscored the Bearkats, 15-1, in the series.
• Four of the five meetings have also taken place at Holloway Field, with the other match coming at BBVA Compass Stadium.
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 16th in the College Soccer News poll while coming in 22nd in both the TopDrawerSoccer and United Soccer coaches preseason polls.
• Last year, Rice finished the year ranked 16th in both polls.
Rice in Season Openers
• Rice is 7-11-2 all-time in season openers.
• The Owls will open the season at home for the second straight year and the 10th time overall. When opening the season at home, the Owls are 4-4-1.
• After dropping nine straight season openers, Rice has won its last two.
• This is the first time that Rice will open the season against a Western Athletic Conference opponent.
Next Up
• Rice closes its season-opening homestand this Sunday, Aug. 22, when it faces Stephen F. Austin. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match will be livestreamed at CUSAtv.
Match 1
What: Rice vs. Sam Houston
When: Thursday, August 19 at 7 p.m.
Where: Houston, Texas
Stadium: Holloway Field (1,500)
Television: CUSAtv
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Rice leads 5-0 (4-0 in at Holloway Field)
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 goals 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 Sam Houston
• Head Coach Tom Brown enters his 13th season at the helm of the Sam Houston soccer program. He holds a 97-128-22 record at the school and is 222-247-46 in 27 years as a head coach.
• SHSU was picked fifth in the WAC Southwest Division after finishing 7-6-1 last year.
• The Bearkats welcome back 14 letterwinners from last year's squad, including its top four starters.
• Forward Brooke Jones is the Bearkats leading returning scorer, as she led the squad with five goals and 11 points to earn Second Team All-Southland Conference honors.
• Midfield Grace Stine returns after placing second on the team with four goals and forward Landri Townsend was the only other player to reach double-figures in points with 10.
• Goalkeepers Abby DeLozier and Tatum Krueger also return after splitting time last year.
Rice-Sam Houston Series History
• This will be the sixth meeting between Rice and Sam Houston and the first since 2016.
• Rice has won the previous five meetings.
• In fact, four of the five have been shutouts, as Rice has outscored the Bearkats, 15-1, in the series.
• Four of the five meetings have also taken place at Holloway Field, with the other match coming at BBVA Compass Stadium.
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 16th in the College Soccer News poll while coming in 22nd in both the TopDrawerSoccer and United Soccer coaches preseason polls.
• Last year, Rice finished the year ranked 16th in both polls.
Rice in Season Openers
• Rice is 7-11-2 all-time in season openers.
• The Owls will open the season at home for the second straight year and the 10th time overall. When opening the season at home, the Owls are 4-4-1.
• After dropping nine straight season openers, Rice has won its last two.
• This is the first time that Rice will open the season against a Western Athletic Conference opponent.
Next Up
• Rice closes its season-opening homestand this Sunday, Aug. 22, when it faces Stephen F. Austin. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the match will be livestreamed at CUSAtv.
Players Mentioned
MF
/ Women's Soccer
MF
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
MF
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