Soccer draws against Arkansas

By By Michael Kidd 9/17/14 8:28am

The Rice University soccer team traveled this past weekend to Fayetteville, Ark. to face the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. This matchup marked the final road game for the Owls before the start of Conference USA play.

The Owls and Razorbacks played 90 scoreless minutes of soccer. This same result held in the two ensuing overtime periods, and the game finished in a 0-0 tie after 110 minutes of play. Junior Holly Hargreaves led the Owls with five shots, three of which were on goal. The Owls are now 3-1-2 on the season.

For the third time this season, the Owls competed against a Southeastern Conference opponent. In all three matches, Rice remained undefeated by winning two games and tying one. As of last week, the Arkansas Razorbacks were No. 18 in the nation in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. The Owls took 15 shots throughout the course of the game, six of which were on goal. After the first half of play, the Owls held a corner kick advantage of 10-3. The final corner kick tally finished 11-6 in favor of Rice.

Goalkeeper Amy Czyz finished the game with seven saves and secured her third shutout of the season thus far. Czyz was named the Conference USA Defender of the Week for the performance she gave, marking the third time in her career she has received the award. Just last week, Czyz broke the school record for career shutouts with her twentieth, and has since added one more tally to that mark.

Head Coach Nicky Adams said she was proud of the grit and determination the team showed in battling a top soccer program in Arkansas.

“We gritted it out the entire time,” Adams said. “I’m so proud of the effort we gave to come [to] Arkansas…and fight as hard as we possibly could. [There was] a lot of pressure for the majority of the game, and we did a marvelous job of handling it.”

According to Adams, the team has been creating opportunities lately. She said they must now work on capitalizing on those opportunities as they prepare for C-USA play.

“We are creating [a lot] of chances but now we have to work on finishing them off,” Adams said. “To go undefeated against three tough SEC teams shows how proud I am of this team, and proud of what we have achieved this non-conference season.”

The Owls will return home to Holloway Field to face the Air Force Academy soccer team this Saturday, the final non-conference game of the season. The match is scheduled for Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.