University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
South Florida
No. 11 Tigers Host South Florida, Travel to No. 25 Rice
Sep 24, 2025 | Women's Soccer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The No. 11 Memphis women's soccer team is gearing up for two big American Conference games this week, hosting South Florida on Thursday, September 25, at 7:00 p.m. before heading to Houston to take on No. 25 Rice on Sunday, September 28, at 11:00 a.m.
Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+. The Tigers (7-0-2, 1-0-1 American) continued their 34-match unbeaten run in home games with a 1-1 draw against UAB last Thursday evening.
Game One: South Florida
Memphis welcomes South Florida for another chapter in one of the best rivalries in the region. South Florida leads the all-time series, 15-8-1, but Memphis picked up a 1-0 win in Tampa last year. The two teams played each other in the conference tournament final in 2018, 2019 and 2021 with Memphis winning the first and third matchup.
The Bulls (6-4, 2-0 American) have rattled off five wins in a row after a shaky start against challenging non-conference competition. They defeated Temple and East Carolina to pick up six points out of six to begin conference play. Ranking fourth in the conference and top 100 in the country with 1.8 goals per game, Moorhead State transfer Hedda Ornberg leads the way with five goals and two assists. 2024 Midfielder of the Year Sadie Sider-Echenberg has three goals and an assist.
Chris Brown is in his second year as the head coach, taking over after 17 years as associate head coach when Denise Brown left to coach Tampa Bay Sun FC in the USL Super League. Last season, they were the No. 2 in the conference, falling to East Carolina on penalty kicks in the semifinals.
Game Two: Rice
Memphis will have an early start on Sunday morning in Houston, battling No. 25 Rice at 11:00 a.m. The third ranked opponent this season (No. 11 Vanderbilt, No. 2 Tennessee), it is the first top-25 American Conference matchup since they the No. 14 Tigers lost at No. 21 South Florida, 2-1, on April 3, 2021.
The all-time series favors Memphis 10-2-1, including two wins, 4-1 and 3-1, last season in the regular season and conference tournament semifinal, respectively. Rice (7-1-1, 1-0-1 American) holds the second-best record in the conference behind the Tigers. After drawing 3-3 with UAB in the opener, they bounced back with a 2-1 win over Florida Atlantic. They will face off with Temple in Philadelphia while Memphis plays South Florida.
Leah Chancey, the conference's 2024 Offensive Player of the Year, has gotten off to an even hotter start in her final year of eligibility, leading the NCAA with 23 points (eight goals, seven assists). The 2024 SMU transfer leads an attack that is 18th in the country with 2.56 goals per game.
Rice is coached by Brian Lee, in his seventh season in charge after joining Rice from LSU. He recently earned his 350th win, second-most of any head coach in the conference behind John Hedlund (North Texas) and one spot ahead of Brooks Monaghan.
Tiger Tidbits
- When coming off a loss or draw, Memphis has a record of 21-9-8 (.658) since 2016.
- The Tigers will be looking for a second top-25 win this season, which would match their most ever (2009). Among their two wins that year was No. 25 LSU, which was led by current Rice coach Brian Lee.
- Memphis is one of 11 teams without a loss this season.
How to follow the Tigers: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
