UNT soccer team is model for success....

[NT80]

UNT soccer team is model for success

Depth of area talent has helped put team on the map, set an example

10:27 PM CST on Thursday, November 10, 2005

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – Rick Villarreal asked his coaches to follow a plan when he took over as North Texas athletic director a little more than four years ago.

Villarreal challenged North Texas teams to mine the area for talent, develop dominant programs in the Sun Belt Conference and be competitive regionally.

Villarreal would like to see all UNT teams model the soccer team.

Under coach John Hedlund, the Mean Green won the Sun Belt Conference title and earned an NCAA Tournament bid for the second straight season with a roster featuring 18 Dallas-area players. UNT (16-3-2) plays SMU (14-4-2) in the first round of the College Station Regional at 5 p.m. today.

"John understands our expectations," Villarreal said. "His ladies are always among the highest rated academic teams that we have, and he has been to the conference tournament finals six straight times. He creates an atmosphere that creates success."

UNT has won four consecutive Sun Belt football titles, but the Mean Green has won once in four trips to the New Orleans Bowl and has lost its last 10 nonconference games.

The UNT soccer team has overcome the nonconference hurdle and has quickly gained national recognition. The Mean Green, which has knocked off a pair of NCAA Tournament qualifiers and regional rivals in SMU and Rice this season, is ranked No. 15 in the central region by Soccer Buzz magazine and No. 36 in topdrawersoccer.com's national poll.

UNT ranks ahead of SMU, Illinois and Cal State Fullerton nationally and ahead of both Oklahoma State and Missouri in the regional poll. The Mean Green is 2-1 against teams in the NCAA Tournament field.

"I have always had a firm belief that we could get the best local kids," Hedlund said. "It's always a challenge. We have our wars for players with SMU and Big 12 schools, but the depth in Dallas is so superior that we get good players."

Sophomore forward Heather Hutyra of Fort Worth Western Hills finished the regular season tied for sixth among NCAA leaders with a 1.0 goals-per-game average. Former UNT greats Marilyn Marin and Melinda Pina also ranked among the nation's top players during their careers that ended in 2003 and 2004, respectively.

"John is such a good coach, and all of his teams are successful," sophomore midfielder Dani Slavonic said. "That has attracted a lot of attention and players to the team."

Hedlund played for the Dallas Sidekicks during a 12-year professional career and started the UNT women's program from scratch in 1995. A little more than a decade later, he ranks 14th among active NCAA women's soccer coaches with a .707 winning percentage.

"We keep pushing the ceiling every year," UNT midfielder Kristen Campbell said. "Now that we are going back to the NCAA Tournament for the second time, we want to take that next step and win a game."

E-mail bvito@dentonrc.com

North Texas vs. SMU, 5 p.m. today, Aggie Soccer Stadium, College Station

[pollock]

Villarreal would like to see all UNT teams model the soccer team.

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Sounds like a thinly veiled message to Darrell.

Hedlund played for the Dallas Sidekicks during a 12-year professional career and started the UNT women's program from scratch in 1995. A little more than a decade later, he ranks 14th among active NCAA women's soccer coaches with a .707 winning percentage.

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.707?

[MeanGreen61]

Hedlund's UNT soccer teams have NEVER HAD A LOSING SEASON.

[Stan R]

wow. impressive.

[untgirl04]

Think he might be up for coaching a little football too?

[Michael Scott]

Think he might be up for coaching a little football too? 

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Technically he does

[DallasGreen]

Also in DMN is a comment that Tulane is struggling with tremendous debt and is again considering dropping football. Ever thought about what this season has actually cost us -- just a bid to CUSA which will now take LA Tech ASAP when we had wooed CUSA with facilities and now support. Now after this garbage season which is not and never has been a rebuilding season we are one upped by a backwoods nothing LA school for what should be OUR spot in CUSA!! Thank you DD as in Animal House " Thank you sir may we have another" kick in the rear that is!!

[El Paso Eagle]

If there is a decision to be made `C-USA will not make the decision based on this years football performance (UTEP’s football past should settle this debate). They will look at what overall opportunities the school brings to the conference and where the school is headed. The issue with LaTech that could place them in the drivers’ seat has nothing to do with the school, but the State it is located in. C-USA would most likely give extra consideration to the State of Louisiana (LaTech or ULL) for what they have gone through (and they fact that since there already in Ruston many of the players might try transferring to one of the other Louisiana schools)

[Eagle1855]

Also in DMN is a comment that Tulane is struggling with tremendous debt and is again considering dropping football. Ever thought about what this season has actually cost us -- just a bid to CUSA which will now take LA Tech ASAP when we had wooed CUSA with facilities and now support. Now after this garbage season which is not and never has been a rebuilding season we are one upped by a backwoods nothing LA school for what should be OUR spot in CUSA!! Thank you DD as in Animal House " Thank you sir may we have another" kick in the rear that is!!

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Is it possible that might be a bit of an overreaction? I understand the feeling, but I seriously doubt they look at one bad year (where at least 2 games could have gone either way, but didnt-- not an excuse for our poor showing, but even...) and then say, "well La Tech has money problems and crappy facilities, but they beat NT, so lets get them on in here and have em join our conference"... to me that wouldnt make sense

Edited November 11, 2005 by Eagle1855

[Eagle1855]

If there is a decision to be made `C-USA will not make the decision based on this years football performance (UTEP’s football past should settle this debate).

Ding Ding Ding

(and they fact that since there already in Ruston many of the players might try transferring to one of the other Louisiana schools)

Agree with you up to here... I would think Tulane students would transfer to places like Rice and SMU

[eulesseagle]

Hedlund wants to get the best local kids in the area to play!!!

It would be nice if we could get some of the best local kids in our area for our FB team!!

My question is: Does RF, exclusively, go to the DFW area to recruit??

Who recruits the other areas of Texas??

Who recruits out of state??

[El Paso Eagle]

Ding Ding Ding

Agree with you up to here... I would think Tulane students would transfer to places like Rice and SMU

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That’s a tough one. I agree for the average student at Tulane yes, but some of the athletes might be thinking differently. Another thing that might come in to play and really favor ULL (as far as potential transfers) how many of these guys have girlfriends at Tulane or one of the other New Orleans schools (sometimes the heart is a powerful thing)??

P.S. – If they did drop football it would provide for some assistant coaches and coordinators (yeah, DD not going anywhere) who would be looking for a job.

[eulesseagle]

ElPasoEagle / Eagle1855 ---

You nailed it buddy. Look at UTEP and SMU!!!

Crappy teams getting into CUSA.

We are having a bad year in FB but good attendance, our BB team is improving and one of the best recruiting classes in years but perhaps our BB attendance may improve this year....maybe this year will change, Women's BB looks good this year, Women's Soccer looks good again this year.

Our BB facility is better than anything in the SBC, better than TCU, SMU, LaTech, Rice and other CUSA facilities.

Hopefully, we should have a first class FB stadium in 2006 (sooner would be better) and hopefully one before the Rapture.

It all makes sense to us but we do not know about the "politics" about getting in!! That will be left up to RV ,our trusty BOR and whatever support we get politically (govt., individual, etc).

[meangreen11]

tulane will never drop football that is a joke. Reading this article it appears to me that RV is breaking Dickey's bawls just a little. As proud as I am about girls soccer it doesn't compare crap to what d1 football brings in terms of exposure. A nationally televised game is worth millions in advertising. Hedlund could never bring that to the table because of the sport he coaches.

ElPasoEagle / Eagle1855 ---

You nailed it buddy.  Look at UTEP and SMU!!!

Crappy teams  getting into CUSA.

We are having a bad year in FB but good attendance, our BB team is improving and one of the best recruiting classes in years but perhaps our BB attendance may improve this year....maybe this year will change, Women's BB looks good this year, Women's Soccer looks good again this year. 

Our BB facility is better than anything in the SBC, better than TCU, SMU, LaTech, Rice and other CUSA facilities.

Hopefully, we should have a first class FB stadium in 2006 (sooner would be better) and hopefully one before the Rapture.

It all makes sense to us but we do not know about the "politics" about getting in!! That will be left up to RV ,our trusty BOR and whatever support we get politically (govt., individual, etc).

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