Kat is a beast!

[Coach Andy Mac]

[Coach Andy Mac]

 

[Coach Andy Mac]

DENTON — North Texas women's soccer freshman forward Kat Burnell followed up her record setting performance in the season opener on Thursday with a hat trick on Sunday versus Oral Roberts in the Mean Green's 4-0 win.
 
Burnell needed just 13 minutes in the second half to score all three of her goals and seal the shutout victory to help improve UNT's record to 2-0.
 
"I'm really happy to help my team win," Burnell said. "I believe in myself and my teammates have been a huge help making the adjustment to college. I've been competing at a high level but there's been an adjustment and my teammates have been huge. I'm really proud of myself."
 
Burnell is the first Mean Green freshman to score a hat trick since Berklee Peters in 2017 and is the 21st different UNT women’s soccer student-athlete to record a hat trick in the program's 27-year-history.
 
In UNT's season opener Burnell fired off a UNT freshman record 11 shots and seven on target but was unable to find the back of the net.
 
"Yes it felt really good to finally get one," Burnell said with a smile.
 
Before Burnell's second half hat trick, North Texas took a one goal advantage when fifth-year senior Olivia Klein intercepted a pass from the ORU (1-1) keeper in the 18th minute and then fired her shot past the keeper’s outstretched hands.
 
The goal was Klein's second of the young season.
 
Senior Madi Drenowatz assisted on two of Burnell's three goals on Sunday. Drenowatz was the team's leading scorer last year but already has three more assists this season than she had all of last year.

UNT leaves the season opening week with a perfect 2-0 record and outscored its first two opponents by a combined score of 9-1.

"A solid weekend for us getting the two home wins and outscoring our opponents by eight," said head coach John Hedlund. I'm happy to see KB get the hat trick tonight as well, she's going to be special for us all year in front of the goal."

UNT is off until Friday when they host Houston Baptist at 7 p.m. CT.