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Soccer Falls 2-0 To Rice In Conference USA Opener Friday
Oct. 5, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format
HOUSTON - The University of Houston soccer team lost a 2-0 matchup with Rice after giving up a pair of goals off set pieces in the Conference USA opener for both teams, Friday at the Rice Soccer Stadium. The Cougars (4-5-1, 0-1 C-USA) have dropped three straight and have been held scoreless for the past 230-plus minutes. The Owls (7-3-1, 1-0 C-USA) have won the past two matchups of the rivals and lead the all-time series 4-2-1. Tonight's match was the first time in the series' seven game history that a game was decided by more than a goal. The offense got a boost tonight from the return of injured forwards Nikki Echeverria (Sugar Land, Texas/Clements HS), Christine Nieva (Mesquite, Texas/North Mesquite HS/Arizona State) and Brittney Pfeiffer (Sugar Land, Texas/Austin HS). Echeverria had missed two matches, Nieva five and Pfeiffer the entire season. Logging extensive minutes in her season debut, Pfeiffer also had the Cougars' best shot to score on the evening. In the 58th minute, the sophomore bent a ball in from the wing that clipped the top of the crossbar and bounced out of bounds. Nieva tallied one of UH's two shots on goal, along with Lauri Byrne (Southlake, Texas/Southlake Carroll HS). Both Rice goals, scored by Kate Edwards, came off set pieces, a free kick in the first half and a corner in the second. Rice was on the board in the 21st minute after Edwards scored her seventh of the season off a free kick from Kellen Schugart. Schugart served the ball into the box where it hit the crossbar and ended up at Edwards' feet. Edwards turned and sent it to the right of a diving Shelby Scott (Mesquite, Texas/North Mesquite HS). The Owls also had an insurance goal in the 64th minute when Edwards' head found its way onto the end of a corner kick from Clory Martin. Edwards, playing about eight feet off the back post out-jumped the Houston's defense and sent the ball into the net. The Cougars return to action next weekend, playing host to Memphis at 7 p.m. CDT Friday and UAB at 1 p.m. Sunday.
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