DRC.Soccer article NT vs Denver

[OldTimer]

Sun Belt favorites clash

Mean Green soccer travels to nationally-ranked Denver

10/04/2002

By Terry Britt / Staff Writer

The most important soccer game of the season thus far for North Texas ? and its toughest test ? comes Friday afternoon in the high altitudes of Denver, Colo.

North Texas (8-1, 2-0) will face No. 20 Denver (6-1-2, 2-0) in a Sun Belt Conference showdown Friday at 4 p.m. Most observers see this battle as being between the conference?s best two squads.

"Most people feel it will be us or Denver winning the conference," said UNT head coach John Hedlund. "And chances are good we may be seeing each other again in the [sun Belt] tournament finals."

North Texas handed Denver one of its three losses last season, a 2-1 Mean Green victory in Denton. This time around, the Pioneers have their unique high-altitude home field advantage and a healthy team that has allowed only seven goals this season.

"We?ve never been at Denver and we hope to be able to deal with the higher altitude, especially in the first half. The other thing is that Denver is healthier than we are right now," said Hedlund.

His reference was not only to the mending knee of Melinda Pina, but senior midfielder Michelle Uselton as well. Uselton suffered a knee injury during Sunday?s win at Arkansas-Little Rock.

Both Pina and Uselton are questionable for Friday?s game as well as the Sunday non-conference match at Wyoming. North Texas will also be without junior defender Jessica Koschmann against Denver, as she will be serving a one-game suspension for drawing a red card against Arkansas-Little Rock.

"We?re hoping for positive things with Michelle Uselton. She?s had some bad luck with injuries," said Hedlund. "With Pina, her knee is healed, but we?ve got to see if she has at least 85 percent movement with it."

Against a strong side like Denver, Hedlund knows North Texas will have to play at the top of its ability on both ends of the field.

"We want to try to keep the game tight and close. If we can do that, we feel we have a chance to win it at the end, maybe get Marilyn [Marin] on a few balls and pull it out," said Hedlund.

If Pina is able to go against Denver, it could give the Mean Green a much-need boost on the attack. However, Hedlund is confident his team can keep pressure on Denver, especially with the ever-dangerous Marin.

"We?ve been able to hide her, kind of let her float some, and then let her break through on the counterattack, because other teams can?t really double-team her unless she?s up top," Hedlund explained.

"Once she?s going forward, she is very hard to stop. We want to do things to discourage other teams from double or triple-teaming her and keep their best players from marking her," said Hedlund.

North Texas goes into Friday?s match second in the Sun Belt Conference in scoring and is behind only Denver in defense with 11 goals allowed.

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