University of Memphis Athletics
Wednesday, November 11
Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
6 p.m.
University of Memphis
vs
(4) Rice
Nov 10, 2026 | Women's Soccer
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – The top-seeded Memphis women's soccer team continues its pursuit of an American Conference Tournament championship Wednesday night when the Tigers take on No. 4 seed Rice in the semifinals of the 2026 American Conference Tournament in Lakewood Ranch, Fla. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, with the match broadcast live on ESPN+.
Memphis (12-3-3, 8-0-2 American) enters the semifinal matchup riding a three-match winning streak after capturing its fourth consecutive American Conference regular-season championship and 17th conference title in program history. The Tigers are seeking their first conference tournament championship since 2023.
The Tigers advanced to the semifinals Sunday night with a 1-0 victory over No. 8 seed North Texas, thanks to an early goal from junior Ai Kitagawa.
Kitagawa provided the lone goal of the contest in the eighth minute, curling a perfectly placed corner kick directly into the back of the net. The goal marked her team-leading 10th of the season and 26th of her Memphis career.
The Tigers' defense held firm for the remainder of the match, securing their seventh shutout of the season and punching their ticket to the conference semifinals.
Memphis will now face Rice for the second time this season, looking to advance to the American Conference Tournament championship match.
SCOUTING REPORT
Rice enters Wednesday's semifinal matchup with a 7-7-5 overall record after earning a 1-0 victory over No. 5 seed UTSA in Sunday's quarterfinal round. The Owls finished fourth in the American Conference regular-season standings with a 4-4-2 record.
Memphis leads the all-time series against Rice, 12-2-1, and has won each of the last eight meetings dating back to 2012. Earlier this season, the Tigers earned a 2-0 victory over the Owls in Memphis on Sept. 17, with goals from freshman Abby Forsgren and junior Ai Kitagawa.
The Owls are led by head coach Brian Lee, who owns a 77-52-23 record in his eighth season at Rice. Across stops at Furman, LSU and Rice, Lee holds a 364-240-78 career record, ranking 22nd on the all-time Division I women's soccer wins list and 12th among active head coaches.
A trio of freshmen has led the way offensively for Rice this season. Sloane Popov leads the Owls with eight goals, while Valentina Labuschagne has recorded a team-high 49 shots, including 26 on goal. American Conference Freshman of the Year Neerali Kapadia has been the team's primary playmaker, recording a team-best 11 assists.
As a team, Rice ranks 21st nationally in corner kicks per game (7.05) and 74th in shots on goal per game (6.74).
TIGER TIDBITS
For the Tigers' most recent and up-to-date schedule, click HERE.
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.
Memphis (12-3-3, 8-0-2 American) enters the semifinal matchup riding a three-match winning streak after capturing its fourth consecutive American Conference regular-season championship and 17th conference title in program history. The Tigers are seeking their first conference tournament championship since 2023.
The Tigers advanced to the semifinals Sunday night with a 1-0 victory over No. 8 seed North Texas, thanks to an early goal from junior Ai Kitagawa.
Kitagawa provided the lone goal of the contest in the eighth minute, curling a perfectly placed corner kick directly into the back of the net. The goal marked her team-leading 10th of the season and 26th of her Memphis career.
The Tigers' defense held firm for the remainder of the match, securing their seventh shutout of the season and punching their ticket to the conference semifinals.
Memphis will now face Rice for the second time this season, looking to advance to the American Conference Tournament championship match.
SCOUTING REPORT
Rice enters Wednesday's semifinal matchup with a 7-7-5 overall record after earning a 1-0 victory over No. 5 seed UTSA in Sunday's quarterfinal round. The Owls finished fourth in the American Conference regular-season standings with a 4-4-2 record.
Memphis leads the all-time series against Rice, 12-2-1, and has won each of the last eight meetings dating back to 2012. Earlier this season, the Tigers earned a 2-0 victory over the Owls in Memphis on Sept. 17, with goals from freshman Abby Forsgren and junior Ai Kitagawa.
The Owls are led by head coach Brian Lee, who owns a 77-52-23 record in his eighth season at Rice. Across stops at Furman, LSU and Rice, Lee holds a 364-240-78 career record, ranking 22nd on the all-time Division I women's soccer wins list and 12th among active head coaches.
A trio of freshmen has led the way offensively for Rice this season. Sloane Popov leads the Owls with eight goals, while Valentina Labuschagne has recorded a team-high 49 shots, including 26 on goal. American Conference Freshman of the Year Neerali Kapadia has been the team's primary playmaker, recording a team-best 11 assists.
As a team, Rice ranks 21st nationally in corner kicks per game (7.05) and 74th in shots on goal per game (6.74).
TIGER TIDBITS
- Since 2023, Memphis owns a 62-8-10 overall record and an .838 winning percentage, the highest of any program in the nation over that span.
- The Tigers have been equally dominant in conference play, posting a 32-0-7 record and a .910 winning percentage against conference opponents since 2023. Only Milwaukee (.927) and Utah Valley (.919) have recorded higher conference winning percentages during that stretch.
- Memphis ranks seventh nationally in shots on goal per game (8.56), eighth in shots per game (18.39), 29th in corner kicks per game (6.56) and 29th in goal differential (+22).
- Head coach Brooks Monaghan ranks 27th on the all-time Division I women's soccer coaching wins list with 341 victories and 16th among active head coaches. Under Monaghan, the Tigers have claimed 17 conference championships and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Head coach Brooks Monaghan has called upon several freshmen and transfers to make significant contributions this season:
- Freshman Miyu Morota has appeared in 10 matches, totaling 158 minutes and recording her first collegiate assist at No. 3 Vanderbilt.
- Freshman Ella Etienne has played 107 minutes across seven appearances, recording her first collegiate assist against Tulsa.
- Freshman Marika Martineau has appeared in 15 matches, logging 317 minutes and scoring her first collegiate goal against UTSA.
- Freshman Neko Michell has totaled 180 minutes across nine matches, making three starts, including her first collegiate start at No. 8 Ohio State.
- Transfer Zerina Markovic has appeared in all 18 matches, playing 647 minutes while recording four goals and one assist. She scored twice in a three-minute span against UTSA.
- Freshman Abby Forsgren has made an immediate impact, starting all 18 matches and playing 1,576 of 1,620 possible minutes. She has contributed five goals and eight assists while recording 49 shots, including 23 on goal.
- Transfer Natalie Dvorakova has played 336 minutes across 13 matches, making two starts and scoring her first collegiate goal.
- Freshman Maira Boosman has played a significant role in the Tigers' back line, starting 16 of 18 matches and totaling 1,365 minutes. She earned American Conference All-Freshman Team recognition.
- Several returning Tigers have also taken on expanded roles and increased their production this season:
- Sophomore goalkeeper Ava Galani has taken over the starting role in net, playing 1,605 of 1,620 possible minutes while recording seven shutouts and 44 saves. She earned All-Conference Third Team recognition.
- Sophomore Ava Gaida has made 15 starts this season after entering the campaign without a collegiate start. She has now appeared in 29 career matches and played all 90 minutes in 13 of her 17 appearances this season.
- Redshirt freshman Grayson Williams made her first appearance for the Tigers this season and earned her first career start at No. 8 Ohio State. Williams later scored her first two collegiate goals in a span of just 16 minutes off the bench at Florida Atlantic.
For the Tigers' most recent and up-to-date schedule, click HERE.
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.
Players Mentioned
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