Spaulding’s Overtime Goal Gives No. 15 Rice 2-1 Victory over Northwestern State

Calendar

No Upcoming Events

HOUSTON — Second year freshman forward Vyviene Spaulding scored with two minutes remaining in the first overtime to give No. 15 Rice Soccer a 2-1 victory over visiting Northwestern State, Sunday afternoon from Holloway Field.

The Details
The match started off slow, as neither team was able to get much going. The first chance came in the 11^th minute when Delaney Schultz headed the ball past the NSU goalkeeper, but a defender was able to knock it away before it crossed the goal line. In the 28^th minute, a Northwestern State corner kick set up a shot for the Demons, but Bella Killgore was there to make the save. But just one minute later, Caleigh Page sent a pass from just over midfield to Caleigh Boeckx, who took it and punched it past the netminder to break the scoreless tie. Rice had a chance to double its lead in the 40^th minute when Mijke Roelfsema perfectly set up Catarina Albuquerque with a corner kick, but her header went just past the left post, and the Owls went into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

In the opening 13 minutes of the second half, Boeckx had two great chances to extend the lead. Both times she came in alone on NSU's goalkeeper, who made the save to keep it a one-goal game. Izzy McBride had a chance in the 68^th minute, but her shot was knocked away over the net. Northwestern State knotted the game at one less than a minute later, as Caroline Hilliard threw a perfect throw-in to Kyle Nolen, who turned and fired it past Killgore. In the 81^st minute, Schultz had a chance to give the Owls the lead, dribbling down the middle and getting the goalkeeper to slide down. But her attempt to put it over the goalkeeper went high, and the match went to overtime.

During the overtime period, play started out slow. Both teams took control, but neither could get deep enough to get a shot off. Then, in the 97^th minute, Mariana Elizondo stole the ball and got it Vyviene Spaulding, who split the defense and fired a shot past the netminder for the winning margin.

What Brian Lee Had to Say
"We knew Northwestern State was good. The way the game set up with their low block, you have to be patient. You have to be relentless. We got the nice, early lead, but we tried to sit on it. They came back into the game a little bit. They hit us with the really long throw for the equalizer. But I thought there was really good character from the team to come back. That's the most chances we created in any game. We had some really good chances and intelligent movement off the ball."

Up Next
Rice continues its homestand this Thursday, Sept. 2, when it hosts Texas State. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. and it will be livestreamed by CUSAtv.

Notes
• F Izzy McBride and D Ziyana Samanani made their first starts of the year.
• Rice has started 4-0 for the second straight year and just the second time overall.
• Rice improved to 3-0-0 all-time against Northwestern State, including 2-0-0 in Houston.
• Rice has won 12 straight matches against the Southland Conference and is 33-4-2 all-time against the SLC.
• The Owls held a 17-to-10 advantage in total shots and a 9-to-5 advantage in shots on goal.
• Rice tied a season-high with nine corner kicks.
• D/F Caleigh Boeckx scored her second goal of the year and the seventh of her career.
• Boeckx has recorded at least a point in all four games this year, the longest stretch of her career and the first Owl to record points in the team's first four matches since Lauren Hughes in 2015.
• Boeckx recorded career-highs of five shots and three shots on goal.
• F Vyviene Spaulding scored her second goal of the year and her first career overtime goal.
• Both of Spaulding's goals were game-winners.
• D Caleigh Page assisted on Boeckx's goal, recording her first assist of the year and the second of her career.
• MF Serena Pham assisted on Boeckx's goal, recording her second assist of the year and the eighth of her career.
• MF Mariana Elizondo assisted on Spaulding's goal. It was her first career assist.
• GK Bella Killgore made four saves to move to 4-0 on the year.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results