Mean Green Wraps Up Preseason Play Against Alumni

DENTON, Tex. (8/19/06) In the final tune-up before the regular season begins the North Texas women’s soccer team fell to the Alumni 6-5 from the North Texas Soccer Complex.

Former Mean Green star player and current Texas Woman’s University head coach Fluer Benatar scored the game-winning goal with one second remaining in the game to cap a wild night of offense.

The Mean Green dominated play, outshooting the Alumni 31-11, but former greats Marilyn Marin and Melinda Pina single handily powered the Alumni.

North Texas started the scoring off with a goal from Kelli Lunsford in the 16^th minute of play. The Mean Green carried a 1-0 lead into the break after outshooting the Alumni 18-3 in the first half.

The Alumni answered early in the second half with two quick goals. Former North Texas All-American Marin, the school’s all-time leader in goals and points, scored two goals in a span of 41 seconds to give the Alumni a 2-1 lead. Marin’s first goal came in the 47^th minute of play on a loose ball in box.

The second goal was a flashback to Marin’s days of dominance in a Mean Green jersey. She took a feed from midfield and split the North Texas defense, and beat Mean Green goalkeeper Melanie Peterson.

North Texas knotted the game up in the 60^th minute when junior Heather Hutyra scored to make it 2-2. The Mean Green regained the lead in the 64^th minute of play when Dani Slavoic scored from five yards out on the left side.

Marin wasn’t done however as she notched a hat trick in the 68^th minute of play. Marin’s game-tying goal came as she streaked down the right side and blistered a shot from 15 yards out to even the match at 3-3. The Alumni went back on top for good when Pina scored from the right side making it 4-3 in the 74^th minute of play.

The Alumni added another goal to make it 5-3. North Texas sophomore Veronica Ayala then scored from the left side to cut the Alumni lead to 5-4 with 10 minutes remaining. Sophomore Brittany Cleveland scored the game tying goal with 1 minute and 34 seconds to even the match at 5-5 before the last second heroics by Benatar.

North Texas begins the regular season on Sunday, August 27 at Texas State. The Mean Green’s home opener is slated for Thursday, August 31 against Houston.

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Players Mentioned

Veronica Ayala

Brittany Cleveland

Heather Hutyra

Kelli Lunsford

Melanie Peterson

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