Mean Green Looks To Repeat As SBC Champs

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Mean Green Looks To Repeat As SBC Champs And Return To The NCAA Tourney

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 08/08/2005

After the greatest season in North Texas women’s soccer history, head coach John Hedlund knows an encore performance will be tough, but with seven starters returning the Mean Green is poised to make its second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The 2004 season was a magical run for North Texas. The Mean Green posted a school-record 16 wins, won its second Sun Belt Conference regular season title, captured its first-ever SBC Tournament crown and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

North Texas has only three seniors on the roster this year but returns seven starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s squad. The Mean Green has one of the best defensive teams in the conference with senior goalkeeper Briana Buchanan leading the way. Buchanan set a school record with 10 shutouts last season and has a school record 17 for her career. She is also third all-time with 193 saves for her career.

Forwards Kristen Campbell and Heather Hutyra lead the way for North Texas on the offensive end this season. Hutyra notched 17 points, along with six goals as a true freshman last season. She was second on the team in points and fired a freshman-record 83 shots last year. Campbell was second on the team with 46 shots on goal last season along with four goals and four assists. Complementing Campbell and Hutyra on offense will be senior Misty Cordon and junior Jamie Yates. Cordon scored a career-best four goals last season, while Yates added seven points.

Sophomore defenders Dani Slavonic and Lauren Weller return to anchor the North Texas defense. Slavonic started all 23 games last year and was named to the Sun Belt Conference all-tournament team. Weller missed the final nine games of the season with a knee injury, but she saw action in 14 games before getting injured and made her presence felt. Senior Andrea Marak also returns to give the Mean Green invaluable experience and depth in the backfield. Marak saw action in 22 games last year and will be the only senior defender this season for North Texas.

Midfielders Angela Hawkins and Melissa Chapman provide the Mean Green with experience. Hawkins has missed only one game in her first two seasons, while Chapman has notched seven goals in her first two seasons.

North Texas welcomes five newcomers to the squad this fall. Midfielders Brittany Cleveland and Kelli Lunsford come to North Texas after winning a state championship their senior years in high school. Amanda Johnson was named District 6-5A Defensive Player of the Year, and forward Gennifer Hurst and defender Amanda Mitchell join the Mean Green this season with a chance to contribute immediately for North Texas.

"These five players along with the six strong walk-ons we were able to add to our roster for next fall makes this definitely our largest, and deepest recruiting class since I’ve been here," said North Texas head coach John Hedlund. "This class has a lot of speed and several players that are very versatile in which they can play many positions on the field at a very high level."

The 2005 schedule is highlighted by a school-record tying 11 home games. The Mean Green begins the season on Friday, August, 26 with a match against Eastern Illinois in El Paso, Texas, followed with a game against UTEP on August 27.

North Texas begins the home portion of the schedule on Wednesday, August 31 against Texas State. Since the 2000 season, North Texas has been nearly unbeatable at home, compiling a record of 37-2-3. The Mean Green moves into a new permanent facility for the 2005 season. North Texas will have a new facility complete with a new field, locker rooms, along with a seating capacity of 1,000 at the Mean Green Soccer Complex.

North Texas also has non-conference road games against SMU, Houston, and Northwestern State.

The Mean Green begins defense of its Sun Belt Conference Championship on September 30 with a home game against league newcomer Troy. North Texas will also face its fiercest conference rival, Denver, at home on Oct. 21.

North Texas has five league home games this season and four road games. The 2005 Sun Belt Conference Tournament will take place Nov. 2-5 in Mobile, Ala. The winner of the tournament gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.