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University of Tulsa
East Carolina
Women's Soccer Opens Conference Play at Home Against ECU
9/16/2026 3:40:00 PM | Women's Soccer
GAME 9:
Tulsa (4-3-1) vs. East Carolina (1-2-5)
7:00 p.m. CT - Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026
Hurricane Soccer Stadium (2,000) • Tulsa, Okla.
LIVE STATS: Statbroadcast
TV: ESPN+
GAME NOTES: Tulsa
GAME NOTES: ECU
THE COACHES:
Tulsa: Jim Rhein (Northeastern State '93), 6th year
Career Record: 38-43-20
School Record: Same
ECU: Emily Buccilla (St. Bonaventure '12), 2nd year
Career Record: 6-8-4
School Record: Same
Notes on the East Carolina Pirates
- The Tulsa Golden Hurricane open conference play at home against the East Carolina Pirates on Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.
- The Golden Hurricane are undefeated at home this season.
- ECU holds one win this season, claiming a 2-0 result on the road over Western Carolina.
- The Pirates lead the all time series between the programs 11-5-4.
- The last time Tulsa bested East Carolina came at Hurricane Soccer Stadium in 2018, when the Golden Hurricane scored three times to earn the victory.
- Last season, Tulsa traveled to Greenville and left with a 2-0 loss to the Pirates, opening 2025 conference play.
- In their last time out, ECU ended equal with VCU in their home stadium, with both teams putting two in the back of the net.
Last Time Out: Tulsa Falls in Mayor's Cup at ORU
- Tulsa lost to Oral Roberts 2-0 on Thursday at Case Soccer Complex. It was the first game this season for Tulsa without temperatures requiring hydration breaks. Tulsa finished with seven shots, putting five on goal, but was held scoreless for the full 90 minutes.
- Maddy Nigey saved an early Marlee Fort shot before Fort scored for Oral Roberts at 9:42 off a Brianna Castleberry assist, putting Tulsa behind 1-0. Tulsa created an immediate chance at 10:33 when Blaine Schutte hit the top woodwork, then played through a physical stretch that included yellow cards to Addison Castleberry and Luci Rodriguez.
- East Texas A&M generated the first sustained chances, with Isabella Queneau taking a shot, two corners and Abi Dolding saving Kristen Sueltz's attempt before Allyson Reed scored at 13:23 to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
- Tulsa generated the first meaningful pressure of the second half with a corner kick at 48:12 and a Kizer shot on goal that Alyson Sebban saved at 48:34. Oral Roberts added to its lead at 50:33 when Brianna Castleberry scored off a Genesis Helsley assist, making it 2-0.
- Tulsa outshot ORU on goal, firing five between the crossbars while ORU had three.
- Neither side scored again as Oral Roberts finished off the 2-0 result. Seven yellow cards were issued during the match, tied for the most of the season.
Shepherd Earns American Defensive Player of the Week Honors
- Tulsa women's soccer defender Molly Shepherd was named the American Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7 following a strong defensive performance across the Golden Hurricane's two matches the previous week.
- Shepherd played all 90 minutes and helped lead Tulsa's backline to a 2-0 shutout victory over Abilene Christian.
- The sophomore defender followed that performance by playing 88 minutes in Tulsa's 1-1 draw against East Texas A&M on Sunday. Her time spent on the field was the most of any Tulsa player in the match.
- Tulsa goalkeeper Maddy Nigey also earned American Conference honorable mention honors Monday after recording shutouts in 135 minutes of action across the Golden Hurricane's two matches last week.
Leading the Way: Aniya Facen
- Junior Aniya Facen started the first five matches of the 2026 season, earning at least a point in each one.
- Facen scored two goals, including one against No. 17 Kansas, and tallied three assists for seven points on the year.
Kizer Earns American Midfielder of the Week Honors
- Tulsa's Kyrsten Kizer earned the first American Midfielder of the Week honor of the 2026 season, the conference announced on Aug. 24.
- The transfer from Houston played all 90 minutes in both of Tulsa's matches this week, helping the Golden Hurricane secure a pair of victories. Kizer recorded five shots, including two on goal, in Tulsa's win at SFA before converting a penalty kick for her first goal as a Golden Hurricane in a 2-0 shutout win over Little Rock at home.
- Through three games this season, the senior has recorded three points for Tulsa, bringing her career total to 18 points.
- Tulsa's Lauren McIntyre also earned American Conference honorable mention honors this week.
Schutte Named Among Hermann Trophy Forwards to Watch
- University of Tulsa women's soccer junior Blaine Schutte has been named one of the 2026 IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Positional Players to Watch for Forwards.
- Schutte was a key contributor for Tulsa during the 2025 season, scoring the game-winning goal in the Golden Hurricane's season opener at Central Arkansas. She later recorded a brace against East Texas A&M and scored in the final game of the regular season against Rice, helping Tulsa earn the No. 3 seed in the American Conference Championship, the highest seed in program history.
- As a freshman, Schutte led the Golden Hurricane with nine goals, recording braces in two matches and Tulsa's first hat trick in two seasons. She was also ranked No. 96 among freshmen in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.
Three Golden Hurricane Named to American Preseason Watch List
- Addison Castleberry, Blaine Schutte and Kaylyn Simmons have been named to the American Conference Women's Soccer Watch List, the league announced on July 31.
- Three players from each program were selected for this year's watch list.
- Castleberry returns from a promising freshman year with even more experience to boost her potential. In 2025, she scored three goals and recorded four assists. Her first career goal came against ORU in Sept. last year. She racked up three points against South Florida as well, with one goal and an assist. Across the season, the current sophomore fired 22 shots, with eight being on goal.
- Schutte is coming off a strong sophomore season, earning 2025 American All-Conference Second Team honors and the 2025 United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-South Region. In the 2025 season, the Eureka, Mo., native scored the opening goal of the season and assisted the game-winner against Central Arkansas. She tallied a brace and another game-winner by the end of the year. The current junior led the team in shots over 2025, firing off 50, with 23 on target.
- Hailing from Norman, Okla., Simmons is set to continue growing her momentum after a major injury caused her to miss the first two games of 2025 and almost the entirety of the 2024 season. She has been listed on the preseason watchlist all of her years returning to the squad. In 2025, Simmons scored her first goal back from injury against SFA. She tallied another goal later in the season at East Texas A&M and multiple assists along the way.
2026 Preseason Coaches Poll
- The Golden Hurricane women's soccer team was picked to finish fifth of 11 teams in the preseason coaches poll.
- The Memphis Tigers were selected as the preseason favorite after collecting all 10 first-place votes and 100 total points. Memphis has won three of the last five American Championship titles, claiming conference crowns from 2021-23.
- Reigning American Championship tournament champion UTSA was picked to finish second in the preseason poll with 80 points.
- Behind UTSA are Rice and South Florida, earning 73 and 71 points, respectively.
- Tulsa sits in fifth place, one slot higher than its preseason selection last season.
- Following behind Tulsa is Charlotte, East Carolina, UAB, North Texas, Florida Atlantic and finally Temple.
Women's Soccer Ticket Information
Single-game tickets are on sale for $10 per match and can be purchased in advance at TulsaHurricane.com or at the gate. Season tickets also start at just $50. Season ticket members will receive one membership card per ticket ordered that will be good for all 2025 TU men's and women's regular season home matches at the Hurricane Soccer Stadium. Season tickets are not valid for any postseason games. No refunds for canceled games due to weather-related or any other cause. CLICK HERE to start the process of ordering tickets or call 918-631-4688.
Ball Kid Sign-ups
The Tulsa soccer teams are looking for a few more ball kids for the 2025 season. Ball kids and one accompanying parent or guardian will receive free admission for games they sign up for. Ball kids will retrieve balls that go out of bounds on the sidelines for the entire game. The minimum age to be a Ball Kid is 8 years old. Kids ages 13 or older are not eligible to participate. Groups will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up by clicking HERE.
Visit www.TulsaHurricane.com for the latest news and information on the women's soccer program. Fans can also follow the team on X, Facebook and Instagram.
