No. 20 Rice Begins Conference USA Slate at UTEP

HOUSTON — The 20th-ranked Rice Soccer team opens its Conference USA schedule this Thursday, Sept. 16, when it travels to El Paso to face UTEP. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be streamed by CUSAtv.

Match 9
What: No. 20 Rice at UTEP
When: Thursday, September 16 at 8 p.m.
Where: El Paso, Texas
Stadium: University Field (500)
Television: CUSAtv
Live Stats: RiceOwls.com
Series Information: Rice leads 13-7-2 (4-4-1 in El Paso)

Scouting Rice
• Head Coach Brian Lee is in his third season at the helm of the Rice soccer program. He holds a 30-10-5 record and is 317-198-60 in 24 years as a head coach.
• The Owls are 6-1-1 after dropping its first match of the season, 1-0, to SMU on Sunday.
• Junior midfielder Delaney Schultz is second in Conference USA with five goals and 14 points. She also leads the team with four assists, 25 shots and 15 shots on goal.
• Junior defender/forward Caleigh Boeckx is second on the team with two goals, three assists and seven points.
• Goalkeeper Bella Killgore leads C-USA with an 88.6% save percentage and 39 saves while placing second with three shutouts and third in goals against average (0.60).
• The Owls are outscoring the opposition, 14-to-5 and have recorded 47 points to the opposition's 13.
• Rice returns its top eight goal scorers from last year, led by second year freshman Mikala Furuto who tallied six goals, as well as Schultz and junior Madison Kent, who added five apiece.
• The Owls welcome seven newcomers to the squad, including six true freshmen and one transfer.

Scouting UTEP
• Head Coach Kathryn Balogun is in her third season at the helm of the UTEP soccer program, where she holds a 15-18-5 record. In eight years as a head coach, she is 54-61-15.
• UTEP is 2-5-0 on the year after defeating New Mexico State, 2-1, last Thursday.
• Senior forward Jackie Soto leads the Miners with six points behind a team-leading three goals.
• Junior forward Jojo Ngongo is second on the team with two goals and five points.
• Freshman goalkeeper Luisa Palmen has played in five of UTEP's seven matches. She has a 2.22 goals against average and 67.9% save percentage.

Rice-UTEP Series History
• Thursday's match will be the second straight year that Rice and UTEP will meet and the 23rd time overall.
• Rice holds a 13-7-2 record in the series, but it is tied 4-4-1 in El Paso.
• The Owls have won the last two meetings and five of the last seven dating back to 2012.
• The 22 matches are the most against an opponent in school history.
• Last year, Rice defeated the Miners, 2-0, in its conference finale.
• All 22 matches have been as conference members. The first six were members of the Western Athletic Conference while the next 16 have been as members of Conference USA.

Rice in Conference USA
• When the Owls face UTEP, it will begin its 17th Conference USA season.
• Since joining C-USA in 2005, Rice is 92-49-17 (636).
• In home matches, the Owls are 52-18-9 and are 40-31-8 on the road.

Rice in Conference Openers
• Rice is 11-5 all-time in Conference USA openers.
• This is the second straight year and just the fifth time overall that Rice will open the C-USA season on the road, having won three of the previous four.
• Including its days in the WAC, Rice is 11-9 all-time in conference openers, including 3-3 when opening on the road.

Rice in the National Rankings
• The Owls are ranked in one of the national polls and is receiving votes in another this week.
• Rice is 20th in the College Soccer News poll.
• In the United Soccer Coaches poll, Rice is receiving votes.
• Rice entered the season ranked in the preseason national polls for the first time in school history.

Next Up
• Rice closes its non-conference schedule this Sunday, Sept. 19, when it travels to Philadelphia, Pa., to face Penn. Match time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and will be livestreamed on ESPN+.

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