Mean Green Soccer Dominates Awards
11/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DENTON (11/1/2005) - On the field the North Texas women’s soccer team dominated the competition, and off the field the Mean Green has done the same. The trio of Heather Hutyra, Kelli Lunsford, and head coach John Hedlund were honored by the Sun Belt Conference by being named the Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
Hutyra was named the Player of the Year after racking up a league-high 17 goals and 40 points. Hutyra had two hat trick’s this season and is seventh in the nation in goals, goals per game, and ninth in points per game.
Hutyra, just a sophomore, is the youngest player to be named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. Hutyra was also named to the first-team all conference for the second consecutive season.
Lunsford was named the Freshman of the Year after scoring seven points, dishing out seven assists, and compiling 21 points. Lunsford has been a force in conference play scoring six goals along with four assists.
She leads the team in shots and has the fourth most points as a freshman in school history. Along with being named Freshman of the Year, Lunsford was also tabbed as a first-team all-conference selection.
Joining Hutyra and Lunsford on the first-team all conference are junior Angela Hawkins and goalkeeper Kandice Ellis. Hawkins has been an instrumental part of the North Texas defense this season as the sweeper. The all-conference honor is the first in her career.
Ellis leads the league in goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. She has a career-high six shutouts this season and 70 saves. She is tenth in the nation on save percentage. Ellis is the first goalkeeper in North Texas history to be named to the first-team all-conference.
For the first time in his career, Hedlund has been named the Coach of the Year. Last season he was named the Co-Coach of the Year. Hedlund has notched 148 wins at North Texas and has not had a losing season since starting the program 11 years ago.
He ranks 14th in the NCAA in winning percentage and 16th among active coaches in wins. Hedlund has guided the Mean Green to three Sun Belt Conference regular season Championships and the school’s only NCAA Tournament berth in 2004.
With the four all-conference selections this year, it marks the third straight season that North Texas has had four players named to the all-conference team.
Since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2000, North Texas has had three Player’s of the Year, three Freshman of the Year, and 25 first or second team all-conference selections.
ALL-SUN BELT CONFERENCE TEAM
FIRST TEAM POS. CL SCHOOL
Lleane Grimditch F Jr.
Holly Grogan F So. Middle
Heather Hutyra F So.
Rebecca Rodriguez F Jr. Middle Tennessee
Kelli Lunsford MF Fr.
Laura Mann MF Jr.
Kelly Tarrant MF So.
Angela Hawkins D Jr.
Heather Ray D Jr.
Jenna Silverberg D Jr. Western Kentucky
Kandice Ellis GK So.
SECOND TEAM POS. CL SCHOOL
Jennifer Beckwith F Jr.
Megan Kosiba F Jr.
Shawna Sparks F Sr.
Christi Banas MF Sr.
Jenna Billingsley MF So.
Rebecca Kahn MF Sr.
Claire Ward MF Sr. Middle
Ingrid Christensen D So. Middle
Laura Cook D Sr. Arkansas-Little Rock
Katy Rayburn D Jr. Middle Tennessee
Laura Longard GK Jr.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Heather Hutyra, So., F,
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Kelli Lunsford, Fr., MF,
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Ingrid Christensen, So., D, Middle
COACH OF THE YEAR: John Hedlund,
