DMN..NT Marin..top Div 1 soccer scorer in USA

OldTimer · November 6, 2002

Scorer sees NCAA berth as her goal

UNT junior Marilyn Marin tops Division I women's soccer

11/06/2002

By TERRY BRITT / The Dallas Morning News

DENTON ? Marilyn Marin knows she is the center of attention when she steps onto a soccer field for the University of North Texas.

She knows she is UNT's all-time leading goal scorer. And she knows she is going to get the ball, even with double and triple teams.

None of it matters for the nation's leading scorer.

"I just hate to lose," said Marin, a junior. "I'm very competitive when I get out there."

This week, Marin has only two things on her mind as the Mean Green prepares for the Sun Belt Conference tournament in Mobile, Ala., on Wednesday. UNT (12-4-1) is the No. 2 seed and faces No. 7 Middle Tennessee (8-11-1) in the first round.

"Two of my goals this season have been for us to win the conference [tournament] and make it to the NCAA tournament. We have a shot at those if we do well this week," Marin said.

The Mean Green has a good chance at claiming the Sun Belt's tournament title and automatic NCAA berth with Marin at the helm. Marin leads the nation in scoring with 67 points. Even with that firepower, UNT will have to improve if it is to defeat top-seeded Denver. Eight games ago, Denver handed UNT a 6-1 drubbing, its worst loss of the season.

Since that game, UNT has employed a more aggressive attack strategy. Marin has 13 goals and six assists in that span.

"It's going to be interesting to see what she can do in the conference tourney," UNT coach John Hedlund said. "It is important that we keep it going with her and keep her healthy,"

Marin is comfortably ahead of her competition for the scoring title. She has nine more points than California-Santa Barbara's Krystal Sandza. Marin leads Division I in points per game (3.94) and goals per game (1.53). She also ranks fourth in the country with .88 assists per game.

She said she developed her inner drive competing for the Dallas-based Sting '83 soccer club for six years. She helped that team win the Snickers North Texas State Cup championship in 1997 and 1998.

"Club soccer was so much more important than high school soccer at that time, and it's why a lot of players get their exposure at various [club team] tournaments," Marin said. "We had a really awesome team. ... I think the fact it was so competitive stuck with me. We were the team to beat."

Marin worked her magic in high school soccer as well. A three-year starter for Skyline, Marin finished her high school career with 117 goals and 68 assists. Twice, she had 80 or more points in one season.

Although she had offers from other programs, Marin was firm on her desire to stay in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

She also said she admired Hedlund's winning determination as a coach.

"We're both very competitive, and we talk about it all the time," Marin said. "We both hate to lose, so we just were always on that same page there."

Banging home 26 goals and adding 15 assists this season hasn't been easy for Marin, who is generally the target of the opposing team's best defender or two.

"There were some occasions before where I would get pushed around and stuff, and that would take me completely out of my game," Marin said. "I've come to realize it's going to happen, and I've got to work harder."

She credits the play this season of her teammates ? most notably Melinda Pina, Michelle Uselton, Jessica Hennessey and Alyssa Carrier ? with helping to divert some of the defensive attention.

"It helps a lot. They take a lot of the pressure off of me sometimes. They work hard and try to get me the ball and help me," Marin said.

"I think we definitely have a good chance of taking the tournament. Hopefully, we can make the finals, and I know we can."

SUN BELT WOMEN'S SOCCER TOURNAMENT

(At Mobile, Ala.)

Wednesday's first round

No. 6 Florida International vs. No. 3 South Alabama, 10 a.m.

No. 5 Western Kentucky vs. No. 4. La.-Lafayette, 1:00

No. 7 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 2 North Texas, 4:00

No. 8 Arkansas State vs. No. 1 Denver, 7:00

Thursday's semifinals

No. 1/8 winner vs. No. 4/5 winner, 4:00

No. 2/7 winner vs. No. 3/6 winner, 7:00