3-1 loss to Marshall ends season
Even after the Rice Owls soccer team defeated Louisiana Tech University 3-0 last Thursday, Oct. 31, winning a spot in the Conference USA tournament, the Owls' season came to an end Monday with a 3-1 loss to Marshall University in the first round of the tournament.
The Owls played on the road Thursday, beating Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. to secure a spot in the C-USA tournament. Junior goalkeeper Amy Czyz's two saves contributed to the defensive shutout. Sophomore forwards Lauren Hughes and Holly Hargreaves and freshman midfielder Bella Hernandez each scored goals to clinch the win.
Redshirt junior forward Jessica Howard said that while the team had one of its most dominating performances, the Owls still showed some weaknesses.
"I think as a team this was one of our strongest performances, but there were still breakdowns on defense in between periods when we got tired," Howard said. "We had a few close scares in the first half, when they had the majority of possession for several minutes at a time, and we need[ed] to be able to disrupt that right away."
However, the team's season was cut short when it lost its Monday, Nov. 4 game 3-1 to Marshall. In the first half, Marshall dominated both 0n offense and on defense with 11 shots on goal in comparison to Rice's three. The Owls increased their shots on goal in the second half to 10, and Hargreaves scored off an assist from junior Quinny Truong in the 61st minute. But Marshall scored two goals late in the second half, eliminating the Owls from the conference tournament.
Head Coach Nicky Adams noted the sentimental value of this game for the team, especially for the seniors. However, Adams also said the team is ready to work toward improvement for next season.
"This program has gone through some ups and downs this season, and I wanted to win it really bad for them," Adams said. "But we're going to get better this offseason. We've got a lot to work on, and we already have some great ideas for the spring."
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