DRC:Soccer off to smoking start

OldTimer · September 10, 2003

Soccer: UNT soccer off to smoking start

06:57 AM CDT on Wednesday, September 10, 2003

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

For North Texas soccer coach John Hedlund, the best part of the Mean Green’s 3-1 start to the season is that he thinks they have room to get even better.

The Mean Green beat Texas State last week and then knocked off Rice in the first meeting between the teams. UNT will look to continue building on its performance early in the season Wednesday when the Mean Green faces Stephen F. Austin on the road.

UNT will return home to face Texas Tech on Sunday.

"I am happy right now with where we are, but we need to continue to improve," Hedlund said.

UNT’s coach would like to see his team start to put games away early. The Mean Green has played several close games, including a 1-0 win over Rice on Sunday.

The Mean Green will try to build on its win over Rice against Stephen F. Austin. UNT has won its last 18 games against Southland Conference teams and has beaten the Ladyjacks each of the eight times they have played.

Junior goalkeeper Briana Buchanan enters the game having posted three shutouts in UNT’s four games this season. The Mean Green has also proven to be a potent offensive team behind Melinda Pina and Marilyn Marin. Both players extended their point streak to four games during last week’s games against Texas State and Rice.

Pina pushed her career point total to 64 last week, the seventh-best total in UNT history.

Cross country coach happy with progress

North Texas cross country coach Rick Watkins was pleased with the performances of Matt Gieringer and Jessica Schmidt in the UTA Invitational on Saturday.

Gieringer finished sixth in the four-mile race in a time of 21:00, while Schmidt finished sixth in the two-mile race in a time of 11:23.

"Schmidt ran a really smart race," Watkins said. "She held back a little early. We will cut her loose a little more this week."

UNT hosts the UNT Invitational on Saturday.

Dickey pleased with crowd

North Texas football coach Darrell Dickey thanked the fans that packed the stadium for UNT’s 52-14 win over Baylor in its home opener Saturday.

UNT set a home attendance record with 29,437 fans, breaking the previous record of 28,315, set in the 2000 season also in a game against Baylor.

UNT has now drawn more than 20,000 fans to Fouts Field eight times in its history.

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

7-day schedule

The following is on tap for the UNT athletics in the next seven days.

Wednesday – Tulsa at volleyball, 7 p.m.; Soccer at Stephen F. Austin, 7 p.m.

Friday – Volleyball at Wichita State Tournament (9 a.m. San Diego State, 2 p.m. Oral Roberts)

Saturday – Cross country at UNT Invitational, 8 a.m.; Football at Air Force, 1 p.m.; Volleyball at Wichita State Tournament (noon Wichita State, 5 p.m. Nicholls State)

Sunday – Texas Tech at soccer, 1 p.m.

Tuesday – Volleyball at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. 7 p.m.

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