DRC Soccer article..Marin sets scoring record

OldTimer · September 9, 2002

Marin sets scoring record, UNT tops TWU

09/09/2002

By Terry Britt / Staff Writer

Strange as it sounds, Marilyn Marin?s record-breaking hat trick was about the only positive note in North Texas? 6-1 win over Texas Woman?s University Sunday afternoon at the Mean Green Soccer Complex.

North Texas foward Marilyn Marin dribbles the ball against Texas Woman's at the Mean Green Soccer Complex Sunday. Marin recorded a hat trick to become the Mean Green?s all-time leading goal scorer.

Marin scored all three of her goals in the second half to break Christy Johnson?s UNT career goal-scoring record. Marin nailed the historic one in the 75th minute on a 25-yard free kick that nestled into the top right corner of the TWU net.

Her three goals put the Mean Green (4-0) a bit more at ease. For the first 51 minutes of the match, the first-year side of TWU out-hustled and outplayed UNT in just about every spot on the turf. Much to the dismay of the Mean Green, the game was scoreless at halftime and, even worse, Melinda Pina left the game in the 18th minute with a knee injury and did not return.

"I thought TWU came out and played us extremely hard. They were very aggressive. They were beating us to a lot of balls in the first half," said UNT head coach John Hedlund.

Although UNT had several scoring chances in the first 20 minutes, TWU goalkeeper Stephanie Stein played equal to the task. Only an injury on a save in the 23rd minute stopped Stein?s performance from continuing.

But no one typified the Pioneers? effort better than defender Luci Romberg. The speedy senior left it all on the field, using her agility as a Pioneer All-American gymnast to beat UNT players to the ball time and again throughout the contest.

"We just came out with everything we had. We had nothing to lose," said Romberg. "It was a really fun game to play, and we played our hearts out."

"The girls came out tremendous, they came out and worked hard from the whistle. Our goal was to shut them out, deny everything, deny Marilyn and Melinda everything.

"They came out and took it to them [uNT] for 52 minutes. I?m proud of them. They came out like they had been around for five or six years. No one would have known walking out there that we had a first-year program," said TWU head coach Fleur Benatar.

Eventually, UNT found its attack and made TWU (2-2) pay for some defensive mistakes. In the 52nd minute, Marin broke free through the left side of the TWU penalty box and sent a centering pass to an unmarked Michelle Partain, who booted the ball past Pioneer goalkeeper Sara Weaver for a 1-0 Mean Green lead.

Marin got on the board herself in the 57th and 65th minutes with two unassisted goals to give UNT a 3-0 cushion. She said breaking the school?s career goal-scoring record in front of a home crowd meant something special.

"It?s an honor to have broken a school record like that. CJ [Christy Johnson] was an awesome player. I?m going to keep playing the way I have and score some more goals," said Marin.

Before Marin got the school record, though, TWU struck back. Stephanie Richardson planted a lofting shot on goal in the 71st minute and the ball eluded North Texas goalkeeper Erin Johnson, making her collegiate debut in replacing starter Brianna Morris at halftime.

Two minutes later, Angela Contreras had a chance on a deflection but Johnson made the save. Soon after that, Brittany Whorton?s free kick from 30 yards glanced off the crossbar and out.

Jessica Hennessey added a goal for UNT in the 87th minute on an assist from Lindsay Williams, and Alyssa Carrier capped the scoring in the 88th minute on another assist from Williams.

North Texas matched the best start in school history (1996) with Sunday?s victory. The Mean Green will take to the road for the first time with a date at Houston Friday at 7 p.m.

TWU will play its very first home soccer match Friday at 5 p.m. against Mary Hardin-Baylor.

TERRY BRITT can be reached at 940-381-9605.