University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
Rice
Tigers Open American Conference Play Against Rice
Sep 16, 2026 | Women's Soccer
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Memphis women's soccer team opens American Conference play this week as the Tigers take on Rice.
Memphis enters conference action following a 1-0 victory over Kansas City on Sunday, closing out the nonconference portion of its schedule with a win.
Junior Ally Casey was named American Conference Defensive Player of the Week following her performance against the Roos. Casey provided the assist on the game-winning goal while helping the Tigers record a clean sheet, limiting Kansas City to just three shots and none on goal.
Sophomore Evelyn Mackay earned an American Conference Honorable Mention after shifting into an attacking role and scoring the game-winner in the 77th minute. The goal was Mackay's second of the season and third of her career.
Casey and Mackay have been mainstays for Memphis this season, playing the most minutes of any Tiger outfield players. Mackay has logged 619 of 630 possible minutes, while Casey has played 618.
SCOUTING REPORT
Rice enters the matchup with a 2-3-3 record after earning a 3-0 victory over ULM on Thursday.
Prior to the win, the Owls faced three consecutive ranked opponents, falling 3-1 at home to No. 3 Vanderbilt and 4-3 on the road at No. 17 Texas State before earning a 1-1 draw at No. 15 Florida State in Tallahassee.
Memphis leads the all-time series against Rice, 11-2-1, and has won each of the last seven meetings dating back to 2012. A season ago, the two programs met in the first ranked matchup in series history, with No. 11 Memphis earning a 2-0 victory over No. 25 Rice after scoring once in each half.
The Owls are led by head coach Brian Lee, who owns a 72-48-21 record in his eighth season at Rice. Across stops at Furman, LSU and Rice, Lee holds a 359-236-76 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 the Owls. Sloane Popov has scored four goals over Rice's last three matches, including a brace against ULM and the equalizer at Florida State. Valentina Labuschagne leads the team with 22 shots and 15 shots on goal, while Neerali Kapadia has recorded a team-high four assists.
Rice ranks 29th nationally in corner kicks per game (7.25), 36th in shots on goal per game (8.0) and 54th in fouls per game (7.25).
TIGER TIDBITS
- Since the start of the 2023 season, the Tigers own a 53-8-8 record and an .826 win percentage. Only two programs have posted a higher win percentage over that span: No. 21 Florida State (.856) and No. 6 Stanford (.833).
- Memphis is 24-0-5 against conference opponents since 2023, posting an .914 win percentage. Only Utah Valley (.923) owns a higher conference win percentage over that span.
- The Tigers have not lost a regular-season conference match since Oct. 27, 2022, at SMU.
- Memphis has received at least one vote in 47 consecutive United Soccer Coaches polls dating back to the final poll of the 2022 season. The Tigers received one vote in this week's poll.
- Through seven matches, Memphis has outshot its opponents 123-55, including a 53-28 advantage in shots on goal. The Tigers also hold a 51-17 advantage in corner kicks.
- Head coach Brooks Monaghan has called on several newcomers to play significant roles early this season:
- Freshman Miyu Morota has played 115 minutes across four matches.
- Freshman Ella Etienne has logged 60 minutes across four appearances.
- Freshman Marika Martineau has appeared in all seven matches, totaling 145 minutes.
- Freshman Neko Michell has played 124 minutes across three matches and earned her first career start at No. 8 Ohio State.
- Transfer Zerina Markovic has logged 258 minutes across all seven matches, making one start.
- Freshman Abby Forsgren has made an immediate impact, starting all seven matches and playing 595 of a possible 630 minutes. She has recorded one goal, two assists, 20 shots and 10 shots on goal.
- Transfer Natalie Dvorakova has played 259 minutes across six matches, earning two starts and scoring the first goal of her collegiate career.
- Freshman Maira Boosman has taken on a significant role in the Tigers' back line, making five starts in seven appearances and totaling 380 minutes.
- Several returning Tigers have also taken on expanded roles this season:
- Sophomore goalkeeper Ava Galani has moved into the starting role and played every minute in net through the Tigers' first seven matches, recording two shutouts.
- Sophomore Ava Gaida has made four starts this season after not starting any of her first 18 career appearances.
- Redshirt freshman Grayson Williams made her first appearance as a Tiger this season before earning her first career start at No. 8 Ohio State.
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.
