Rice soccer kicks off its 25th season

Photo by Cayden Chen | The Rice Thresher
Forward Leah Chancey winds up for a kick. Cayden Chen / Thresher

By Evie Vu 8/26/25 8:58pm

Rice women’s soccer returns for its 25th season this fall. The team aims to improve from last year, where they went 12-6-2, a rebuilding season after a poor 2023 record due to the departure of key starting players. In 2024, the Owls advanced to the American Conference semifinals before falling to No. 19 Memphis.

Under the direction of head coach Brian Lee, the team has continued to develop this offseason. In July, Rice Athletics announced that Houston Dash goalkeeper and Olympic bronze medalist Jane Campbell joined the coaching staff as a volunteer coach.

“One of our core tenets is professionalism,” Lee said. “Having Jane around, I think she epitomizes that on and off the field, because she’s a good fit as a Stanford [University] graduate, not just as one of the best goalkeepers in the United States.”

On the player side, the Owls welcome a deep roster of new and returning players, including American Watch List awardees Eileen Albers, Leah Chancey and Lilly Reuscher. The team ranked third in the 2025 American Coaches Preseason Poll.

Chancey, a graduate student, was named the American Offensive Player of the Year after a record-breaking 2024 season. She carried the longest goal-scoring streak in the NCAA this season with eight consecutive matches with a goal, in addition to finishing first in the conference in goals (9), points (22), shot accuracy (0.528) and shots on goal per game (1.40).

“I’m expecting to be a man marked the whole game, which is not fun, but it helps me develop my game,” Chancey said.

While Chancey traditionally plays in the center midfield position, Lee said changing her position to forward is integral for this season. Chancey said that playing around the goal is her niche, and by playing front, she can maximize her opportunities to score.

“Leah is very, very efficient when she’s in the box,” Lee said. “So far, results have been good.”

Lee and Chancey agreed that the Owls have a unique playing style that students would enjoy watching.

“We’re a team that wants to let the other team have the ball for a little bit and then win the ball in certain spots and counter really quickly,” Lee said. “When we’re in attack, we give the kids a lot of freedom, and that can create some exciting moments.”

Lee said that fans should watch Reuscher, Naija Bruckner, Eileen Albers and Jessica Molina to see this style in play.

Chancey said that the team’s chemistry is where they are strongest and that it separates them from other NCAA teams.

“We care so much and have so much grit,” she said. “If the game’s not going our way and if we’re not connecting our passes, we’re still going to win that game, just because we care that much more than the other team.”

Even though winning games is a top priority, Lee said that he foremost wants his players to improve.

“Improving is the best feeling you could possibly have as an athlete,” Lee said. “They just want to improve every day, and that makes them happy, which makes me happy and makes for a joyful environment.”

Lee explained that improvement occurs throughout the season. He frequently tells his players that soccer is like a school year. They are not taking their final exam now, but are building up and preparing to take it in November, when they hope to compete for the American championship.