Photo by: Juan DeLeon
Rice Soccer Welcomes Four Grad Transfers for 2023
8/1/2023 2:34:00 PM | Women's Soccer
HOUSTON — Rice Soccer head coach Brian Lee has announced the signing of four graduate transfers for the 2023-24 school year.
Joining the Owls are forward Ellen Halseth (Bekkestua, Norway/Hofstra), midfielders Piper Biziorek (Naperville, Ill./Charlotte), Sarah Piper (The Woodlands, Texas/Duke), and goalkeeper Hannah Pimentel (Flowery Branch, Ga./Mississippi State).
Biziorek, a midfielder, joins the Owls after spending the last three years at Charlotte. Prior to missing last year with an injury, she was named Second Team All-CUSA and CUSA All-Academic as a sophomore and earned All-CUSA Freshman Team honors in 2020. She twice led the team in assists while also pacing the squad with six goals and 15 points as a sophomore. As a freshman, Biziorek helped lead the 49ers to the Conference USA Tournament title game before falling to Rice. In her career, she tallied 21 points on eight goals and five assists while recording a .200 shot percentage and a .450 shots on goal percentage.
Halseth, a forward, has played the last three seasons at Hofstra after starting her collegiate career at FIU. In her three years at Hofstra, Halseth helped the Pride to consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championships and two straight berths to the NCAA Tournament. A Third Team All-Colonial honoree last year, she was second on the team with 16 points, tying for the lead with seven goals while adding a pair of assists. She also set career-highs with a .152 shooting percentage and a .630 shots on goal percentage. Against Hampton, she recorded her first career hat trick and assisted on another goal in an 8-0 victory. In her career, she recorded 42 points, scoring 18 goals and adding six assists.
Pimentel comes to South Main after playing four years at Mississippi State. She saw action in four matches, including making a pair of saves against No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Tournament. She was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first two seasons.
Piper, a midfielder, has spent the last four years at Duke, helping the Blue Devils to four straight NCAA appearances, and three Elite Eights. She has seen action in 34 matches in her career, making seven starts. She was also named to the ACC Honor Roll in each of the last three seasons. Prior to Duke, Piper was named the 28th best player in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.
"Graduate transfers have become a big part of college athletics," said head coach Brian Lee, "We are fortunate that Rice offers several programs rated among the best in the world to attract this level of player. All four in this class have the proven college pedigree to make an immediate impact in the American Athletic Conference. We look forward to integrating them with our returning seniors to lead the team as we look to continue to improve the program in the Fall of 2023."
They join forward Sophie Zhang (Sammamish, Wash.), midfielders Mia Brumlow (Houston, Texas), Jordyn Mariam (La Jolla, Calif.), and Elizabet Volkova (Lynnwood, Wash.), and defenders Isabelle Kent (Sugar Land, Texas), Lauren Pickup (England), Olivia Pielak (Tampa, Fla.), and Kirsten Ruf (Somerset, N.J.) in the 2023-24 signing class.
Joining the Owls are forward Ellen Halseth (Bekkestua, Norway/Hofstra), midfielders Piper Biziorek (Naperville, Ill./Charlotte), Sarah Piper (The Woodlands, Texas/Duke), and goalkeeper Hannah Pimentel (Flowery Branch, Ga./Mississippi State).
Biziorek, a midfielder, joins the Owls after spending the last three years at Charlotte. Prior to missing last year with an injury, she was named Second Team All-CUSA and CUSA All-Academic as a sophomore and earned All-CUSA Freshman Team honors in 2020. She twice led the team in assists while also pacing the squad with six goals and 15 points as a sophomore. As a freshman, Biziorek helped lead the 49ers to the Conference USA Tournament title game before falling to Rice. In her career, she tallied 21 points on eight goals and five assists while recording a .200 shot percentage and a .450 shots on goal percentage.
Halseth, a forward, has played the last three seasons at Hofstra after starting her collegiate career at FIU. In her three years at Hofstra, Halseth helped the Pride to consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championships and two straight berths to the NCAA Tournament. A Third Team All-Colonial honoree last year, she was second on the team with 16 points, tying for the lead with seven goals while adding a pair of assists. She also set career-highs with a .152 shooting percentage and a .630 shots on goal percentage. Against Hampton, she recorded her first career hat trick and assisted on another goal in an 8-0 victory. In her career, she recorded 42 points, scoring 18 goals and adding six assists.
Pimentel comes to South Main after playing four years at Mississippi State. She saw action in four matches, including making a pair of saves against No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Tournament. She was also named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in each of her first two seasons.
Piper, a midfielder, has spent the last four years at Duke, helping the Blue Devils to four straight NCAA appearances, and three Elite Eights. She has seen action in 34 matches in her career, making seven starts. She was also named to the ACC Honor Roll in each of the last three seasons. Prior to Duke, Piper was named the 28th best player in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.
"Graduate transfers have become a big part of college athletics," said head coach Brian Lee, "We are fortunate that Rice offers several programs rated among the best in the world to attract this level of player. All four in this class have the proven college pedigree to make an immediate impact in the American Athletic Conference. We look forward to integrating them with our returning seniors to lead the team as we look to continue to improve the program in the Fall of 2023."
They join forward Sophie Zhang (Sammamish, Wash.), midfielders Mia Brumlow (Houston, Texas), Jordyn Mariam (La Jolla, Calif.), and Elizabet Volkova (Lynnwood, Wash.), and defenders Isabelle Kent (Sugar Land, Texas), Lauren Pickup (England), Olivia Pielak (Tampa, Fla.), and Kirsten Ruf (Somerset, N.J.) in the 2023-24 signing class.
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