University of Memphis Athletics
University of Memphis
East Carolina
No. 6 Tigers Set for Road Clash with East Carolina
Oct 17, 2025 | Women's Soccer
GREENVILLE, N.C. – No. 6 Memphis women's soccer hits the road for their only game this week, a Sunday morning showdown with East Carolina slated for 11:00 a.m. CT.
The Tigers (12-0-2, 6-0-1 American) moved up two spots to No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches poll on Tuesday following two wins against North Texas and Florida Atlantic. The highest ranking in program history is No. 5 in November 2011.
Eyeing a third consecutive regular season championship, Memphis would need a win and other American Conference results to go their way to become the first team in the country to clinch a regular season title this year. Charlotte (playing South Florida) and UTSA (playing Tulsa) would both need to drop points in addition to Memphis winning to see the Tigers clinch a share of the title. To become the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and clinch the outright title, UTSA would have to lose in addition to a Charlotte draw or loss.
The Tigers' sole focus is at the task at hand in Greenville, against one of the few sides to give Memphis trouble in the 2024 season. East Carolina (5-5-3, 3-2-1 American) haven't lost at home since the opening game of the season against Liberty. Last year, the teams played to a 1-1 draw in Memphis, and the Pirates won the American Conference final, 1-0, in double overtime.
Despite the loss and draw last season, Memphis still owns a 19-4-4 record against ECU, including a 7-2-2 mark at Johnson Stadium. The Pirates will be looking to get back on track; a solid start to conference play saw them third in the table, but a 5-2 loss at UAB now sees them in fifth place with three to play.
East Carolina is coached by Emily Buccilla, in her first year on the job after Gary Higgins left to lead NC State. Caitlen-Star Dolan Boodram is by far the most productive attacking player with five goals and five assists. They rank fourth in the conference with a goals-against average of 1.23, and goalkeeper Olivia Dietrich has three shutouts.
Tiger Tidbits
- Ai Kitagawa was named TopDrawerSoccer's Player of the Week for her three goals, including the 89th-minute winner over Florida Atlantic.
- The Tigers will put their four-game road winning streak – joint-longest in the nation – to the test this weekend.
- With 112 wins since the 2018 season, Memphis ranks fourth among all schools in wins over the past eight years.
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.
