Soccer: UNT 3, Denver 0

[res1dg16]

www.sunbeltsports.org

www.meangreensports.com

From Sun Belt Sports . org:

MIAMI – One demon down, one to go.

No. 2 seed North Texas eliminated a team that has ended its season each of the past three years, and the Mean Green inched one step closer to their first-ever NCAA Tournament bid with a 3-0 victory over No. 3 Denver in semifinal action of the Aeropostale Sun Belt Conference Championships at FIU’s University Park.

Alyssa Carrier, Heather Hutyra and Melinda Pina each recorded goals as NT (14-5-1) reached the Sun Belt Tournament finals for the fifth straight year.

Now the Mean Green will try to make it Victory No. 1 in the tourney finale.

“Denver has always been a thorn in our side, so obviously it feels good,” said NT head coach John Hedlund. “They are just a really good program, and we knew it would take a complete effort to beat them. It’s just hard to single out a player because everybody just played phenomenal.”

The Mean Green scored in the 30th minute as Carrier put in her own rebound. North Texas quickly put the game away in the second half, scoring two goals in the first four minutes.

Now it’s on to the finals, where the Mean Green will meet FIU, which upset No. 1 seed Middle Tennessee on Thursday to improve to 7-0 at home this year.

“Their fans really give them a 12th man out there,” Hedlund said. “It will really be a great atmosphere out there. We’re really looking forward to this game. They have a really good team, and we are playing really well right now.”

Edited November 5, 2004 by res1dg16

[UNTLifer]

Very impressive win by the Ladies. Best of luck to them in the finals. Bring another SBC title to Denton and head on to the NCAA's.

[untbowler]

A huge win for the ladies and for UNT as a whole, now just seal the deal against FIU and the ladies are Tournament bound.

One monkey down now beat the other down.

[NT80]

North Texas One Win Away From The NCAA Tournament After 3-0 Victory Over Denver

Release: 11/04/2004

Freshman forward Heather Hutyra scored her sixth goal of the season in the 3-0 win over Denver

MIAMI, Fla. (11/4/04) – In dominating fashion the North Texas women’s soccer team defeated the Denver Pioneers 3-0 to advance to the Sun Belt Conference Championship game for the fifth consecutive year.

The Mean Green (15-5-1) will face the fourth-seeded Florida International Golden Panthers (7-11-1) on Saturday at Noon with the winner earning an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

“Denver has always been a thorn in our side, so obviously it feels good,” said North Texas head coach John Hedlund. “They are just a really good program, and we knew it would take a complete effort to beat them. It’s just hard to single out a player because everybody just played phenomenal.”

Senior Alyssa Carrier started the scoring off for North Texas in the 29th minute with her fifth goal of the season. Carrier beat Pioneer’s goalkeeper Danielle Wiley off a rebound after having her initial shot stopped. North Texas maintained a 1-0 lead at the half after out shooting the Pioneers 12-4 in the first half.

The Mean Green then proceeded to seized control of the game for good in the first three minutes of the second half. Freshman forward Heather Hutyra scored her sixth goal of the season from 10 yards out in the 46th minute of play to make it 2-0.

Senior Melinda Pina followed up with her 10th goal of the season just 90 seconds later on a breakaway to give North Texas a 3-0 lead in the 48th minute of play.

Junior goalkeeper Briana Buchanan made four saves and set a new single-season school record for shutouts as she notched her ninth of the year

The win by North Texas, its 15th of the year, ties the single-season school record for wins set in 2000 and 2003.

North Texas advances to face FIU in the SBC Championship game which will be a rematch of the 2000 title game that saw FIU win 3-1. The Mean Green has never won the SBC Tournament Championship and are looking to advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

North Texas has won the only meeting this season with FIU, a 1-0 win last Sunday at home, but the Golden Panthers are the host team and have not lost at home this season.

[Reb UT '70]

I think this is the first game that Denver has lost in the Sun Bowl Tourny. I know this marks at least the fouth time UNT has been to the finals, and it's about time we won the thing!

Then we can get some revenge at A&M. That first game was just to lull them into over confidence!

[Travis]

WOW! this is incredible.... finally, that thorn in our side has been removed... toomany times the last four years we made it a game before the tourny... and now... WE DID IT!

Good job.. make us proud in the tourny!