Recruiting Class Ranking Now In!

Reb UT '70 · July 31, 2002

We will see how this season affects national respect, or lack of it, for North Texas' soccer team. The 2000 class was ranked 11th in the central region (65 teams) Last year's class was ranked lower, but at least made the top 100 classes nationally. This year's class is totally unranked!

Of course we won't know if that's fair for a couple of years, but we've beaten or tied several schools who's classes have far outranked our. Tulsa for example has had several high ranking classes and has one again this year, but we beat them 2-0 using nothing but our bench and not even all of our freshmen!

I think we got some pretty good recruits this year, but I've been concerned that we didn't get our top recruit. I don't know why we didn't get her, but I also hope being able to show next year's recruits plans for the Liberty property and the new Athletic center will help. It also will help when we beat the higher ranked schools. The first test will be Duquesne on Sept 1st at noon.

LoveMG · July 31, 2002

How should this year's team do compared to last years? Also, have the current soccer players been told anything about a timeline for a new field at Liberty? 2004, 05?

Reb UT '70 · July 31, 2002

They will have a winning season, the weakness of the bottom half the SBC makes that pretty certain. They have two huge holes to fill, and at least one smaller one. Still, the incoming freshman will have to beat experienced players who have started at each position, even if they weren't regular starters, if they want to play. That was not the case last year or, I understand in years past.

We have lost some depth with five underclassmen not returning (4 fr & 1 so), but that's to be expected when you had 14 freshmen on a 23 man roster. Unless we have another walk on who makes the team, (we had one last year but she is not coming back) we're going to have a pretty small squad as well. My current count is only 16 returning player and four recruits. That will mean they can't have full squad scrimmages of 1st team and 2nd team. It is also possible that a couple of other players might not return, and if they don't they will be missed.

Looking at our schedule I see nine games where we should win without too much trouble, four games where we should be favored but won't be easy, four games where it will be even and one game that we should be very slight underdogs. I would not be surprised to see us go undefeated, and it wouldn't surprise me to see us have four or five ties or losses. I won't be able to refine that until after we've played a good team. I don't know if Duquesne is a good team, but they are ranked.

As for the new field at Liberty, nothing has been said to the current players that I know about. I know that several of them do know and are very excited. I overheard a conversation a few days ago where one girl said, "I'm really embarrassed to have teams come and play us at home, our fields are so bad, I can't wait until we get our new fields!" I know we will be playing in a new location, but I felt bad for her, she was proud of her team and her school, and she is one of the players I know is coming back, but I couldn't disagree with her. I can truthfully say I haven't seen a high school field that wasn't far far better than what North Texas has provided.

I know this was more than you asked, but if most of the board isready to talk football, as am I, I'm even more ready to talk soccer! I am excited about this year's prospects, and I am very aware that if we win the SBC conference we will be in the NCAA tourney. If we make it to the tourney, I think we should be ranked in the top half. By that I mean if we don't draw a UNC type school we should advance to at least the second round. Last year Denver drew #5 ranked Stanford and gave them one heck of a game before losing.

MGW · July 31, 2002

The women's temporary home should be much improved over last year's situation. I don't know the dimensions but believe it to be wider than the previous - might want to check me on that. RV had good things to say about the temporary field (when comparing it to the old one), and I can't wait to renovate the Liberty Property into a home that we can all be proud of...

GO MEAN GREEN!

Reb UT '70 · July 31, 2002

I've heard it will be better as well. The width of the field is a tactical decision that the coach will make. The old field could have been much wider, it dictates the way a team will play, and if the new field is wider, it will be very interesting, I'm not a coach, but based on the players we have, I think they will do better on a wider field.

Frankly, I just hope that we have some stands so the fans don't continue to bring their own chairs. I've also heard that will will have flush toilets this year, and I personally will be grateful if that is the case, those portables were nasty.