After a hot start to the season, the University of Memphis women’s soccer team heads home this weekend to host the University of Rice Friday and Ole Miss Sunday.
Memphis is off to a 5-0-0 start to the 2017 season and is currently ranked No. 24 in the nation. They have outscored opponents 16-1 this season and look to continue this play this weekend.
The Tigers won against Rice last season, winning 1-0 in the Tulsa Classic. They beat the Rebels last season in Oxford, winning 2-1 with early goals from Serena Dolan and Marie Levasseur.
A look at the opponent:
Ole Miss is 5-0-1 through their first six matches, their best start since 2012, with the one draw coming against Michigan in a 1-1 match in Oxford. The Rebels have not struggled to find the back of the net this season, scoring 33 goals, including three 8-0 wins.
The Owls (2-1-1) have only played three matches so far, due to matches being cancelled or postponed. The Owls began the season with a 2-1 loss at Texas, followed by a 4-0 win versus Texas A&M Corpus Christi. They drew with Baylor 0-0 and defeated Houston 4-1.
What to watch for:
The midfield for the Tigers has controlled the tempo and dictated play in nearly every match this season. The midfield line of Jessica Lisi, Catherine Levassuer and Maggie Overby has combined for four goals and four assists this season.
The defensive back four, compiled of Sydney Kingston, Stasia Malin, Sessen Stevens and Olivia Gauthier, have started all five matches together. The defensive unit has held opponents to an average of seven shots per match and has conceded one goal.
The Tigers’ clean-sheet steak will be in jeopardy this weekend against Rice and Ole Miss. The Rebels offense totaled 157 shots and has scored in every match this season. The Owls have totaled eight goals in their two wins this season.
Impact Players
Ole Miss F, Channing Foster
The true freshman center forward has tallied seven goals this season, which is tied for first on the Rebels. Foster has scored on 30.4 percent of her shots, and six of her seven goals are part of her two hat tricks this season. She is only the fourth player in Ole Miss history to record two in a single season.
Rice F, Nia Stallings
The goal-scoring senior has three goals to her name through four matches. Stallings scored all three goals in the Owl’s previous match against Houston. She also recorded an assist in a 4-0 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
In her first season, Stallings scored the match-winning goal, in overtime against Vanderbilt, to record her first career goal for Rice. She led the Owls in assists and goals, earning the program's Offensive MVP Award last season as a junior.
Memphis F, Marie Levasseur
The winger from Quebec is off to a positive start in the 2017 season. Levasseur is tied for a team-high three assists, tied for second in goals with three and leads the Tigers in points with nine. She scored the match-winning goal in a 2-1 overtime victory against UAB.
Sydney Kingston battles an opponent for the ball in a match against UAB. She is part of the Tiger defense that has allowed one goal in five games.
Jessica Lisi steps into a free kick shot in the Tigers 2-1 win versus UAB. Lisi represented Canada in the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship
