University of North Texas Athletics
Pioneers Blank NT In Sun Belt Title Game
11/9/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
MOBILE, ALABAMA (11/9/02) - The North Texas soccer team had their championship hopes dashed by the 17th ranked Denver Pioneers 3-0 in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game at The Cage in Mobile.
The Pioneers defeated the Mean Green (14-5-1) for the second straight year in the title game and it marks the third consecutive year that North Texas has lost in the Sun Belt Conference Championship game.
Denver earns the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.
The Mean Green fell behind the Pioneers 2-0 when Katie Antongiovanni scored back-to-back goals within two minutes. The first goal came in 22nd minute and the second came in the 24 minute as the Pioneers carried the 2-0 lead into the half. Denver was able to ice the game in the 53rd minute when Camille Flenniken scored to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead.
Denver dominated the game defensively as they out shot the Mean Green 26-1 and didn't allow a single goal throughout the tournament.
North Texas had the services of Marilyn Marin for the final after having to sit out the semifinal match after receiving a red card in the quarterfinal game but the Pioneers were able to keep the nation's leading scorer without a point.
North Texas placed three players on the 2002 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Team as senior Lindsay Bibb, sophomore Melinda Pina, and freshman Jessica Hennessey all made the squad.
Denver's Antongiovanni was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as the Pioneers become only the second team in North Texas history to beat the Mean Green three straight games.
