Mean Green soccer keeps perfect record in tact with victory Friday

[Skipper]

Looking to remain perfect through three games, the Mean Green soccer team took on Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi Friday night and came away with a 4-0 victory.

The game opened with numerous chances both ways, however, they were not clean opportunities. Possession was hard to come by in the first 45 minutes as play frequently went from one end to the other, resulting in a total of 26 shots and 12 saves. North Texas (3-0) fired 19 of the shots and sophomore goalkeeper Brooke Bailey only had to make three saves.

But after coming out of the gate slow, the Mean Green eventually took control of the match.

“We got off to a sluggish start,” head coach John Hedlund said. “The intensity and work rate was not there in the first half. Credit our opponent. They played really hard. But I think we talked about it at halftime, and we really went after them in the second half and put them away.”

The turning point in the game came in the 37th minute when the Corpus Christi keeper charged out of the box to stop a threatening ball. In the process, she cleared the ball but took out freshman defender Dominique James, giving North Texas a penalty kick. Senior captain Anna Flobeck stepped up and converted the penalty, which opened the floodgates.

Sophomore forward Taylor Torres also scored her first goal of the year off of an assist by senior forward Rachel Holden, and her second goal of the season just two minutes later, unassisted.

“I just try going forward and crossing it,” Torres said. “ just [try] to find my teammates or take it to the goal and score.”

Senior transfer Hailey Sutton played her first three years of eligibility for the Islanders, and came off the bench for North Texas on Friday. She posted five shots, two on goal, in 39 minutes of play.

“I just wanted to come out and compete,” Sutton said. “They’re my old friends, my old teammates, old coaches and I wanted to show them that I’m here, I’m in a better place, and we’re [going to] win.”

With the victory, the Mean Green kept their perfect record and clean sheet for the season in tact, and have not allowed a goal in three matches.

“I’m always going to be pushing their work rate, their intensity level and their passion,” Hedlund said. “I need that right from the start. The team we’re playing on Sunday is a solid team, [and] our goal obviously is to be 4-0 before we go to Oregon and Oregon State.”

Next up: North Texas hosts Abilene Christian University at 1.pm. on Sunday.

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[GM1998]

GMG!!!!! It is early, but the soccer team seems poised to be a solid again. Best of luck ladies. Thanks for the update. Have to search to get info on the team if you are not in the DFW area.