Soccer snaps scoreless streak with win over Tulsa
Last Sunday was a good day for the soccer team. In addition to getting a 1-0 win on the road against the University of Tulsa, Rice ended a scoreless streak of over 200 minutes and in the process clinched a spot in the Conference USA tournament.
The Owls (10-5-2, 4-2-1 C-USA) will wrap up the regular season at home this weekend, starting tonight against Colorado College (9-4-3, 4-2-1 C-USA). The Tigers have displayed the second-best defense in C-USA this year, allowing only 0.81 goals per game to their opponents. Rice then wraps up its regular season against the University of Texas-El Paso Sunday at 1 p.m. at home. The Miners (10-6-2, 4-2-1 C-USA) barely edged the Owls 1-0 in their last matchup.
“We’re out for revenge against UTEP for last year’s loss,” head coach Chris Huston said. “It’s such a big rivalry, it’s always going to be a good game.”
If the Owls hope to have any shot at knocking off these tough conference opponents, they must be able to convert on scoring chances. In a 2-0 loss last Friday against Southern Methodist University, Rice was once again hindered by its inability to capitalize on easy scoring chances, a problem that has plagued the team all season. Even though they out shot the Mustangs 11-5 and had three corner kicks to SMU’s one, they failed to find the net on a single shot.
“We create so many opportunities, but finishing them has been frustrating,” freshman goalkeeper Meghan Erkel said. “We’ve been working on that as a team, taking corners and shots.”
SMU’s goals both came in the second half, the first by forward Caitlin Carter and the second by forward Brittainy Vice. Carter’s goal came in the 56th minute off a direct free kick by midfielder Allison Brill, who served the ball from the Rice endline into traffic near the Rice goal, allowing Carter to break free and blast a shot from nine yards out. Vice’s insurance goal came in the 77th minute off a direct free kick near the Rice endline.
“We didn’t come prepared to play against SMU,” Huston said. “We weren’t the better team on that day. Had we come out with our A-game, it wouldn’t have been a competition, much less a loss for us.”
Against Tulsa, all the scoring the Owls needed came on a sixth minute one-timer from freshman midfielder Korey Taylor. The freshman attacked senior defender Beth Martin’s direct kick — which had been deflected right in front of the goal — netting it past a diving keeper for her fourth goal of the season.
It was the team’s sixth shutout on the season and the third game in a row in which the defense gave up five shots or fewer. 90-minute games by sophomore defenders Katelyn Ostendorf and Kellen Schugart and senior defenders Martin and Lindsay Jaggers anchored the lock down effort.
Other sports stories
- Brown holds on to top spot with win over Jones
- Daniels paces Owls to C-USA title
- Football's defensive woes continue
- If it ain't broke, don't film it
- Men's cross finishes third at C-USA championships
- Owls finish 14th at Herb Wimberley
- Swimming continues strong start at Phill Hansel Duals
- Time to grow up, baseball
- Volleyball heads on the road for rematch with Tulane
News
- Beer-Bike track closed until January
- Fewer arrests, EMS calls reported at NOD this year
- Natural gas scare forces evacuation of Baker College
- Speech and debate team remains undefeated
- Student-athlete graduation rates remain high
- Which politico gets the Rice dough?
Arts & Entertainment
- Carrell carries mediocre Dan in Real Life
- Hit or miss comedy in new presidential candidate's book
- Lovett one-acts stage solid scripts with poor execution
- Train's Monahan unsuccesfully attempts solo sound in Seven