Soccer splits opening weekend series

By Michael Kidd     8/27/15 12:36pm

The 2015 Rice women’s soccer season officially began as the Owls hosted No. 5 Texas A&M University on Friday, Aug. 21. 

With a squad returning seven of its 11 starters from the 2014 Conference USA championship season, Rice came out strong, opening with a 2-1 lead over the Aggies by halftime. The scoring began in the 22nd minute when Rice junior defender Jenny Fichera was brought down inside the penalty area and awarded a penalty kick. Her shot connected with the back of the net to give Rice the early 1-0 advantage. The Aggies quickly responded by scoring just four minutes later to tie the game at one apiece. The Owls would retake the lead on a deflected shot at goal redirected by the boot of true freshman Dominique Mazero in the 29th minute. 

With the halftime lead, Rice looked to secure an upset against a top-ranked opponent, but the Aggies charged back to score three goals in the second half and went on to win by a 4-2 margin. 

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Head Coach Nicky Adams, entering her fifth full season as head coach of the Owls, said she was pleased with the effort her team gave and the way they battled to open the 2015 season. 

“I think it was an unbelievable opportunity for us to start our season against the No. 5 ranked team in the nation [because] it showed that we have the capability of playing with a team like that,” Adams said. “I was really happy with the kids [and how] they battled, but at the end of the day they are number five for a reason. ... It’s just something we aspire to be as well.” 

Senior forward Lauren Hughes said the Owls can be dangerous to any opponent throughout the year, regardless of ranking. 

“We were up 2-1 in the first half … And it’s exciting to see that we can go forward, we can score goals against teams like [Texas A&M],” Hughes said. “They had a lot of good things to say about us and it was just good to play them… It exposed what we need to work on so we can fix that in time for conference.” 

Following the Friday night defeat to Texas A&M, the Owls had a quick turnaround to play San Jose State University on Sunday, Aug. 23. With a heat index in the triple digits, the Owls allowed a goal in the 21st minute of the match. As the match dragged on, the Owls continued to look for the equalizer and ultimately scored in the 81st minute when senior Jasmine Isokpunwu rose up and headed the ball into the back of the net to tie the match up at one goal each. 

After regulation and one 10-minute overtime, the game appeared to be headed toward a draw. However, with just three minutes remaining in the match, Hughes received a short cross from fellow senior Danielle Spriggs and maintained control of the ball in front of goal. A quick strike to the bottom-left corner of the net won the game for the Owls and clinched an opening weekend record of 1-1.

Coach Adams said she was proud of how the Owls found a way to get the victory and battled as she claims the team always does. 

“Today, I expected with how hot it was and us playing at a high pace on Friday … that we were going to have some slow legs a bit,” Adams said. “But what I love about this team is that they’re fighters and they don’t give up. They’re going to find a way to mvvake sure that we battle, especially on our home field. We knew it was going to be a tough game and I’m so proud we finished strong, especially in overtime.” 

The Owls will be in action once again this weekend when they head to face Texas A&M, Corpus Christi on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. Following the match, the Owls will return to Houston on Aug. 30 to face Sam Houston State University at the neutral site of BBVA Compass Stadium. Kickoff for the matchup is scheduled for 4 p.m.

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