Denver on Sat!

[nortx9]

Slammed the MUTS! 3-1 Scored three goals in the second half. Play Denver for all the marbles on SaT! Completely dominated this team tonight. Defense was best all year.

[CMJ]

Let's go Ladies...bring home that title!

[Harry]

Great stuff!!

[MeanGreen61]

Seventh Heaven! North Texas Into The SBC Title Game For The Seventh Straight Year

Courtesy: University of North Texas

Release: 11/02/2006

LAFAYETTE, La. (11/2/06) – With the season hanging in the balance, the North Texas (15-4-2) women’s soccer team scored three-second half goals to rally and beat Middle Tennessee 3-1 and advance to the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship game for the seventh straight season.

Sophomore Brittany Cleveland was the hero on the night as she tallied two goals in the game and now has scored three of her five goals on the year in SBC tournament

Only the Denver Pioneers stand between the Mean Green and its third straight SBC title and NCAA Tournament appearance. The two teams will meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the championship.

The two fierce rivals played a physical match throughout as the Mean Green were able to avenge its only home loss of the season and knock off the Blue Raiders (17-4) for the first time since the 2003 season.

Middle Tennessee carried a 1-0 lead into the break after Kala Morgan scored with just one minute remaining in the first half.

The second half rally for the Mean Green began quickly as Cleveland tied the game at 1-1 in the 52nd minute of play. Just three minutes later freshman Kendall Juett continued her red-hot tournament with a goal that gave the Mean Green its first lead of the game at 2-1.

The game went back and forth for the final 30 minutes, but Cleveland put the game away with 33 seconds left with her second goal of the match.

Kandice Ellis made two saves on the night as the North Texas defense held the nation’s third-highest scoring offense in check, outshooting the Blue Raiders 16-13.

North Texas and Denver, the two stalwarts of the SBC, will meet for the title for the fourth time in league history and the first time since 2003.

The Pioneers won the only match-up between the two teams this season in the regular season finale 2-0 in Denver.

[CMJ]

Didn't I say I thought we had a great shot despite being the #3 seed and having a tough road? I just figured our team so experienced, that would show come tournament time. Not to mention Hedlund apparently owns the first 2 rounds of this tourment considering he's NEVER lost before the final.

[nortx9]

Slammed the MUTS!  3-1  Scored three goals in the second half.  Play Denver for all the marbles on SaT!  Completely dominated this team tonight.  Defense was best all year.

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To further..... Hedlund made a great coaching call and put Slavonik on Grogan for the match, frustrated her all night. Hurst played lights out on Morgan. They could not get free or find each other. Waters just had to patrol and support/cleanup. MTSU had to resort to sending midfielders forward to get numbers and that allowed us to control midfield and get the ball deep into their end. Morgans goal was a great shot with zero angle, not sure how it went in. Short of that, the offensive story of the night was the team wearingMean Green.

And it has gone relatively unmentioned in the write ups, but Lundsford has been winning the midfield, and getting dangerous passes into the box. She has had two huge assists in two games. She placed the ball that Juett finished last night to put MG ahead for good, and tonight she had the assist to Cleveland that got us even at 1.

And by the way I just have to say this..... MUTS F.O.Y was nowhere to be found in their biggest game of the year. Juett had a goal and assist......Ya think the SBC got it wrong?

[GrandGreen]

Story from MUTs official site. Per their view they controlled the first half but NT got the lucky breaks and won.

Middle Tennessee suffers 3-1 loss in SBC semifinals

Team still hopeful of at-large berth into NCAA Tournament

MT Media Relations Related Content

· Cumulative Stats

· Box Score

Kala Morgan scored her 22nd goal of the season against North Texas in the SBC semifinals. (MT)

LAFAYETTE, La. - Middle Tennessee's quest for its first Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship ran into a road block in a 3-1 setback to rival North Texas in the semifinals of the league tournament here Thursday night.

The Blue Raiders (17-4) led 1-0 at the half; however, North Texas scored two goals in a 3:07 span early in the second half and tacked on another in the final minute to secure the comeback win.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game and it was," Middle Tennessee coach Aston Rhoden said. "You get into these tournaments and the games intensify. When you look at the Championships you have to be a good team to win, but you also have to have some luck and North Texas had the lucky breaks go their way. To their credit, they recovered from a goal down to take the lead and we just couldn't catch up. It was pretty much a 2-1 game and we were trying to find a way to get a goal late so we pushed a lot of people forward and they got the third goal but it was not a 3-1 game by any means."

Middle Tennessee will now play the waiting game and await the decision of the NCAA Women's Soccer Selection Committee as to whether the team will receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament following the most successful season in school history.

"I certainly hope we have done enough to warrant an at-large berth," Rhoden said. "Our losses speak for themselves. We have put ourselves in a position where we know we are a competitive team and given a chance I know we can prove that at the NCAA Tournament level but there are other teams wanting the same thing we want. We will have to wait and see."

The field of 64 will be announced on ESPN News Monday between 2-to-3 p.m.

Middle Tennessee controlled the first half of Thursday's game and broke a scoreless deadlock when Kala Morgan delivered her national-leading 22nd goal of the season on an assist from Rebecca Rodriguez in the 44th minute to send the Blue Raiders into the half with a 1-0 lead.

North Texas (15-4-2) quickly evened the slate six minutes into the second half when Brittany Cleveland scored the first of her two goals. Kendall Juett provided what proved to be the game winner in the 55th minute.

The Blue Raiders continued to attack and had several opportunities, including near misses on four second-half corner kicks, but they couldn't cash in and ultimately suffered the gut-wrenching defeat.

Middle Tennessee has shattered numerous single-season records throughout the season and it has several players ranked among national leaders in several categories. Those factors could weigh in the team's favor when the Selection Committee converges this weekend.

[nortx9]

Story from MUTs official site.  Per their view they controlled the first half but NT got the lucky breaks and won. 

Middle Tennessee suffers 3-1 loss in SBC semifinals

Team still hopeful of at-large berth into NCAA Tournament

MT Media Relations Related Content

· Cumulative Stats

· Box Score

Kala Morgan scored her 22nd goal of the season against North Texas in the SBC semifinals. (MT)

LAFAYETTE, La. - Middle Tennessee's quest for its first Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship ran into a road block in a 3-1 setback to rival North Texas in the semifinals of the league tournament here Thursday night.

The Blue Raiders (17-4) led 1-0 at the half; however, North Texas scored two goals in a 3:07 span early in the second half and tacked on another in the final minute to secure the comeback win.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game and it was," Middle Tennessee coach Aston Rhoden said. "You get into these tournaments and the games intensify. When you look at the Championships you have to be a good team to win, but you also have to have some luck and North Texas had the lucky breaks go their way. To their credit, they recovered from a goal down to take the lead and we just couldn't catch up. It was pretty much a 2-1 game and we were trying to find a way to get a goal late so we pushed a lot of people forward and they got the third goal but it was not a 3-1 game by any means."

Middle Tennessee will now play the waiting game and await the decision of the NCAA Women's Soccer Selection Committee as to whether the team will receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament following the most successful season in school history.

"I certainly hope we have done enough to warrant an at-large berth," Rhoden said. "Our losses speak for themselves. We have put ourselves in a position where we know we are a competitive team and given a chance I know we can prove that at the NCAA Tournament level but there are other teams wanting the same thing we want. We will have to wait and see."

The field of 64 will be announced on ESPN News Monday between 2-to-3 p.m.

Middle Tennessee controlled the first half of Thursday's game and broke a scoreless deadlock when Kala Morgan delivered her national-leading 22nd goal of the season on an assist from Rebecca Rodriguez in the 44th minute to send the Blue Raiders into the half with a 1-0 lead.

North Texas (15-4-2) quickly evened the slate six minutes into the second half when Brittany Cleveland scored the first of her two goals. Kendall Juett provided what proved to be the game winner in the 55th minute.

The Blue Raiders continued to attack and had several opportunities, including near misses on four second-half corner kicks, but they couldn't cash in and ultimately suffered the gut-wrenching defeat.

Middle Tennessee has shattered numerous single-season records throughout the season and it has several players ranked among national leaders in several categories. Those factors could weigh in the team's favor when the Selection Committee converges this weekend.

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Send em some cheese to go with the whine..... Geez, look...they did not win the conference, and they did not win the tourney. I don't care what stats you got, they should not count squat, the team records in the clutch should, and they choked. Unless it is an NCAA pity party, they should be done until next August. This program has a history of disappearing in conference tourneys, unlike UNT. If we lose to Denver, we should have a better chance to get a birth before MUTS does. And if they do get one, we sure better have one in hand before they do.

[CMJ]

In your opinion nortx are we in even with a loss? You gave the impression last week we needed to win this thing.

[nortx9]

In your opinion nortx are we in even with a loss?  You gave the impression last week we needed to win this thing.

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No, I do not think we will get in unless we win. SBC just has not had that benefit over the years. If any one can get in at-large based on conference record history, it would be UNT. I do think if we beat Denver, we may see two SBC teams in, since Denver is higher ranked. That is also why it is so absurd to think at this point, that MTSU will even get a second look for a bid. They never win conf, and they never get to tourney finals, much less no NCAA history. Can't see them in, and since we fell so far from preseason expectation, I do not see us getting there without an SBC championship. Remember, we were picked in preseason to win conf, and with that they had us at 52 or something in preseason NCAA bid rankings. Projected 52 AND AFTER winning the conference. Nothing has really changed for the conference except the order of finish, and it will actually look worse to the NCAA for the strength of the conference if we do beat Denver after coming from third seed and beating 2 and 1 along the way.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

Nortx9, you go girl!

Thanks for keeping us informed throughout the season. I know that humility prevents you from mentioning the fact that it was you that scored two of the three goals in the MUTS game. You mention the coaching, defense and others with assists and a goal without once tooting your own horn. I like that in a person.

We especially wish you and your teammates the best of luck on Saturday. Give it that little extra, beat Denver, and make us proud.

[CMJ]

Nortx9 is Brittany Cleveland? I figured she was a member of the team, even though her writing style made it seem as if she was a bit of an outsider, so I hadn't ruled out just a family member, ala Reb 70.

[nortx9]

Nortx9, you go girl!

Thanks for keeping us informed throughout the season.  I know that humility prevents you from mentioning the fact that it was you that scored two of the three goals in the MUTS game.  You mention the coaching, defense and others with assists and a goal without once tooting your own horn.  I like that in a person.

We especially wish you and your teammates the best of luck on Saturday.  Give it that little extra, beat Denver, and make us proud.

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No, Not cleveland, but she is also doing very well and a great team leader, really putting her game together when we could use the extra push.

[untbowler]

thanks for the consistent updates.

Looks like the girls should have an excellent shot at beating Denver especially sicne it is not in the the thin air of Colorado.

[Mad Hatter]

Article From the NT Daily:

The NT soccer team scored three goals in the second half to rally past Middle Tennessee Thursday in the Sun Belt Conference semifinals.

The Mean Green (15-4-2) trailed 1-0 at halftime after allowing Middle Tennessee's Kala Morgan to score with just one minute remaining in the first half before its comeback.

"It was a very exciting game," said junior midfielder Dani Slavonic. "To come back from being down like we did, I'm so proud of our team."

Sophomore midfielder Brittany Cleveland started NT's rally with a goal in the 52nd minute of play.

Freshman midfielder Kendall Juett broke the tie three minutes later with her third goal of the tournament.

Cleveland then iced the game with her second goal of the contest with 33 seconds remaining.

"The players came out and played one of our better second halves of the season," said NT head coach John Hedlund. "I was excited how everyone picked up their game. We took it to them."

The win marked the first time the Mean Green has beaten the Blue Raiders since the 2003 season.

"It feels good [to beat them]," Hedlund said. "When we lost to them at our place this year, I thought it was probably one of my worst losses since I've been at North Texas."

NT held a narrow edge in shots at 16-13 and contained the third-highest scoring offense in the nation throughout the game.

Next up for NT is Denver, the only other team to beat the Mean Green in conference play this season. The Pioneers defeated the Mean Green 2-0 on Oct. 27 under harsh conditions.

"I like the fact it is a neutral place[at Louisiana-Lafayette]," Hedlund said. " I think they have the biggest homefield advantage in the conference, dealing with the altitude and weather. It will go back and forth, but I like our chances."

The Pioneers and the Mean Green have combined to win the last five conference tournaments, and this is the seventh consecutive year NT has reached the final.

"I think we just need to play our game," Slavonic said. "We played defensively last game and hopefully we can go at them and get some goals and play the way we've been playing lately."

[nortx9]

thanks for the consistent updates.

Looks like the girls should have an excellent shot at beating Denver especially sicne it is not in the the thin air of Colorado.

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Yes we should, and after watching both teams lastnight, I think we are on an upswing right now, and Denver appeared as flat as MTSU. Another thing I saw, may not mean much by Sat, but Hemmings left the game right after start of second half, not to return. She was taken down and appeared to hurt her shoulder in first half. She remained in game, but apparently could not play comfortably after starting 2nd half. They had their hands full with FAU, especially 2nd half, and I'm pretty sure she would have been out there if she could have. FAU was very dangerous all 2nd half, and Denver had 5 back most of 2nd half..... so, hate to wish that on anyone......except Denver or MUTS..... but it would be interesting for us if we could catch such a "break". Sat is a long time away with a trainer working on you 24-7, but even if she is healthy, I still like our chances after the last two emotional, dominating victories. We should"test" her durability early on though and see if she is willing to take a hard tackle.....

[nortx9]

Slammed the MUTS!  3-1  Scored three goals in the second half.  Play Denver for all the marbles on SaT!  Completely dominated this team tonight.  Defense was best all year.

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I got some sleep, so now here is just how much we dominated. over 21 games mtsu avg 21 shots per game and over 50% (11.5pg) were on goal. We held them to 13, and only 3 were on goal (23%), almost half as many shots as game avg and half as many on goal. Slavonik WAS awesome. Grogan was avg 3.5 shots per game, and had 2 (one came on header off of a corner in second half). Was avg 2.21 points per game, had zero. Threlkeld was reinjured minutes after a desperate 2nd half appearance (1.67ppg), Morgan (2.53 ppg) held to 2 pts, and Grogan (2.21 ppg) at zero equaled nearly 4.5 ppg reduction!! And, Ellis only had to make 2 saves!! Against the 3rd ranked offense in the nation!

We also tripled the goals allowed per game by MTSU (was 1.13 gpg) with three goals.

I'm sorry, I just don't see how "luck" played into this as Coach Groden seemed to suggest. I believe it was a good old fashion butt whippin.....

[res1dg16]

their coach said what was expected - who cares?

good luck Sat!

(my girl was on the '04 conf. winner - a great thrill for all)

Edited November 4, 2006 by res1dg16

[NT03]

What time is game Today ???

Edited November 4, 2006 by NT03

[BonfireBrian]

Game is at 1:00. You can listen to it on sunbeltsports.org if you want to pay.

[NT03]

Game is at 1:00.  You can listen to it on sunbeltsports.org if you want to pay.

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Thanks .. just in time!

[MeanGreenBuzz]

Hows the game going so far?