HOUSTON — The Rice soccer program posted its highest goal total in 15 years, an 8-0 win over visiting Texas Southern, on the way to giving Owl head coach Brian Lee the 300th victory of his collegiate career.
 
The Story
Lee has reached 300 career wins his 27th season as a Division I head coach. After beginning his career at Furman (his alma mater) and spending 14 seasons in the SEC as the head coach at LSU, Lee joined Rice for the 2019 season. In his debut season on South Main the Owls lost only one Conference USA match and posted a win in the league's postseason tournament for the first time in six years. His 2021 spring Rice team is now off to a 3-0-0 record, the Owls' best start to a season since 2006.
 
Coach Lee Said
"I very thankful to have coached so many hard-working student-athletes during my career," coach Lee stated after Sunday's win. "I am also thankful for the assistant coaches who have helped me, and for the work of our administration and support personnel who do their work every day on behalf of the players."
 
Landslide Victory
Rice scored eight goals, the four-highest mark in program history. Junior forward Madison Kent scored three times (31', 38', 69') in a season-high 46 minutes of playing time. True freshman Catarina Albuquerque scored the first two goals of her collegiate career (14', 16') and registered an assist on Kent's first goal. Haley Kostyshyn (16'), Caleigh Boeckx (78') and Mikala Furuto (86') also found the back of the opponent's net.
 
Notes & Stats
• Rice finished the day with 37 shots, including 19 on-goal. That's the seventh-highest single game mark in program history and the most by the Owls since taking 40 shots against East Carolina in 2012.
• The 19 shots on-goal is the fifth-highest in program history. Rice scored eight times and Texas Southern goalkeepers finished the day making 11 saves.
• Kent's three-goal game is the ninth hat trick by a Rice player and the first since Nia Stalling's three scores vs. Houston in 2017.
• The 36 seconds between Albuquerque's and Kostyshn's goals in the 16th minute is tied for the fastest back-to-back scores by the Owls in program history.
 
Next Up
Rice has a full week before returning to action on Feb. 28 (Sunday). The Owls open Conference USA league play with a West Division match on the road at UTSA. Start time in San Antonio is set for 1 pm.

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