Soccer Signs Prolific Freshman Class
11/30/2018 1:20:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DENTON — A month after finishing up one of the most successful seasons in program history, the Mean Green soccer team has put together and signed one of the most physically imposing freshman classes in program history.
Nine incoming freshmen have signed their National Letters of Intent to join the North Texas soccer team as announced by head coach John Hedlund.
Three of the nine women who signed are 6-foot-1, which is three inches taller than the tallest UNT soccer player from the 2018 roster.
"I really like this 2019 class," Hedlund said. "The first thing that comes to mind is how much bigger we got, which should help us in the air, on all set pieces and against the power-5 teams we consistently play throughout the year. Second it's a very talented class from a skill level perspective, along with several players in this class being very versatile that can play multiple positions along with having great speed."
In the Mean Green's run to the Conference USA Tournament championship, UNT scored in all three games on set pieces as it won its 15th overall conference championship in 24 years and its seventh C-USA championship.
The nine incoming freshmen will help fill the gap lost by the graduating senior class, who leave UNT tied for the most wins in program-history with 64. Of the graduating seniors from this past season's team, four were everyday starters in 2018.
"We lost four starters that we rarely took off the field that were a big part of us winning the regular season and tournament titles and will be hard to replace," Hedlund said. "But we do feel several of these players within this class can come in and have the talent to make an immediate impact for us next fall."
Allie Byrd, Forward
Forward Allie Byrd is one of two East Texas recruits signed to come to North Texas. She is also one of the three incoming freshmen that stands at 6-foot-1 and will add a whole new dimension to the Mean Green's offense that they haven't had for some time.
Byrd is a Kingwood, Texas, native who along with being a successful prep soccer player was also a top basketball recruit after being named her district's MVP. She was also her Kingwood Park High School soccer team's leading goal scorer as she notched 24 goals in 12 matches and had three hat tricks her junior year and was named first team all-state.
She plays club soccer for Challenge Soccer Club, which has 19 girls in this upcoming graduating class going on to play division I soccer.
Michelle Gonzalez, Midfield
Michelle Gonzalez from Garland made her way to UNT through playing with the club team the Dallas Kicks, and will graduate from Parish Episcopal High School this coming spring.
Gonzalez held offerers from SEC schools. At 5-foot-2, she's not one of the taller incoming freshmen, but will be expected to compete for one of the open midfield positions left by graduating senior Lauryn Bruffett who started every game this past year and 13 the year before.
Gonzalez has played in and scored in some of the nation's top showcases like the US Youth Soccer National League Girls Florida Showcase.
Destiny Ramirez, Defense and Desiree Ramirez, Midfield
Destiny and Desiree Ramirez who are twins come to North Texas from Duncanville where they played at Duncanville High School and for the Dallas Kicks club team.
Duncanville is coming off of a 15-6-3 season after their junior year and reached the UIL 6A Regional Round of the state tournament. They will be the third set of sisters to play together in program history, and after the graduation of Lauryn Bruffett (Logan Bruffett is a rising junior), the Ramirez sisters are the only set of sisters currently on the team.
Destiny and Desiree Ramirez have both been honored with first-team all-district honors.
They have played together on the Dallas Kicks with a number of other current and incoming UNT soccer players.
Mackenzie Stricklin, Forward
Mackenzie Stricklin of Heath, Texas, also adds height to the Mean Green front line. Though not a 6-footer, at 5-foot-10, Stircklin would have been the tallest woman on last year's team that once again thrives on set pieces and playing balls in the air.
Stricklin is a prolific goal scorer who has played her club soccer with the Dallas Kicks. She plays her high school soccer at Heath where she's been one of the Metroplex's top goal scorers ever since she stepped on campus. She has had four-goal matches and has been a multiple all-district honoree and district MVP as a freshman.
Sadie McGill, Goalkeeper
Incoming freshman Sadie McGill of Fort Worth and soon-to-be graduate of L.D. Bell High School joins the Mean Green and will be one of two goalkeepers on the roster. She is one of the three 6-foot-1 recruits North Texas has added to the program.
McGill has played her club soccer for FC Dallas, won the U16 ECNL National Championship in 2017.
This year with FC Dallas, McGill has had a phenomenal season, posting a 91.7 save percentage.
Taylor Hunter, Defender
Local Denton product Taylor Hunter will make the short move from Guyer High School where she was coached by North Texas soccer alum Mandy Hall.
Hunter is another tall incoming freshman, standing at 6-foot-1, who will compete for the center back position that is open after fellow Denton native, and all-conference defender Carissa Sanders left after graduating this year.
Hunter helped lead Guyer to 15 wins a season ago and has earned all-district honors.
Quincy Sheppard, Defense
Murphy, Texas, native Quincy Sheppard will be the third Plano East High School graduate on the UNT roster. She is joining former teammates Elle Marie DeFrain and Natalie Newell at North Texas.
Sheppard is one of five children and is the fourth to play sports at the collegiate level, though she's the first to play soccer. Her older sister, Austin, was a gymnast at Michigan. Her older brother Ryan was a gymnast at Stanford and her older sister Skyler is a gymnast at Auburn.
Sheppard has played her club soccer with the Dallas Sting. 25 girls so far have signed NLIs on her U18/19 team.
Briana Beaty, Midfield
The second East Texas signee, Briana Beaty comes to North Texas from Tomball Memorial High School outside of Houston, where she's been a first team all-district and all-region player.
Last season, Beaty scored a game-winning goal over Whitehouse to win the Area championship and led her team to an 11-1-2 mark as the team scored 49 goals while only conceding five all year.
Beaty has played her club soccer with Dynamos SC
Nine incoming freshmen have signed their National Letters of Intent to join the North Texas soccer team as announced by head coach John Hedlund.
Three of the nine women who signed are 6-foot-1, which is three inches taller than the tallest UNT soccer player from the 2018 roster.
"I really like this 2019 class," Hedlund said. "The first thing that comes to mind is how much bigger we got, which should help us in the air, on all set pieces and against the power-5 teams we consistently play throughout the year. Second it's a very talented class from a skill level perspective, along with several players in this class being very versatile that can play multiple positions along with having great speed."
In the Mean Green's run to the Conference USA Tournament championship, UNT scored in all three games on set pieces as it won its 15th overall conference championship in 24 years and its seventh C-USA championship.
The nine incoming freshmen will help fill the gap lost by the graduating senior class, who leave UNT tied for the most wins in program-history with 64. Of the graduating seniors from this past season's team, four were everyday starters in 2018.
"We lost four starters that we rarely took off the field that were a big part of us winning the regular season and tournament titles and will be hard to replace," Hedlund said. "But we do feel several of these players within this class can come in and have the talent to make an immediate impact for us next fall."
Allie Byrd, Forward
Forward Allie Byrd is one of two East Texas recruits signed to come to North Texas. She is also one of the three incoming freshmen that stands at 6-foot-1 and will add a whole new dimension to the Mean Green's offense that they haven't had for some time.
Byrd is a Kingwood, Texas, native who along with being a successful prep soccer player was also a top basketball recruit after being named her district's MVP. She was also her Kingwood Park High School soccer team's leading goal scorer as she notched 24 goals in 12 matches and had three hat tricks her junior year and was named first team all-state.
She plays club soccer for Challenge Soccer Club, which has 19 girls in this upcoming graduating class going on to play division I soccer.
Michelle Gonzalez, Midfield
Michelle Gonzalez from Garland made her way to UNT through playing with the club team the Dallas Kicks, and will graduate from Parish Episcopal High School this coming spring.
Gonzalez held offerers from SEC schools. At 5-foot-2, she's not one of the taller incoming freshmen, but will be expected to compete for one of the open midfield positions left by graduating senior Lauryn Bruffett who started every game this past year and 13 the year before.
Gonzalez has played in and scored in some of the nation's top showcases like the US Youth Soccer National League Girls Florida Showcase.
Destiny Ramirez, Defense and Desiree Ramirez, Midfield
Destiny and Desiree Ramirez who are twins come to North Texas from Duncanville where they played at Duncanville High School and for the Dallas Kicks club team.
Duncanville is coming off of a 15-6-3 season after their junior year and reached the UIL 6A Regional Round of the state tournament. They will be the third set of sisters to play together in program history, and after the graduation of Lauryn Bruffett (Logan Bruffett is a rising junior), the Ramirez sisters are the only set of sisters currently on the team.
Destiny and Desiree Ramirez have both been honored with first-team all-district honors.
They have played together on the Dallas Kicks with a number of other current and incoming UNT soccer players.
Mackenzie Stricklin, Forward
Mackenzie Stricklin of Heath, Texas, also adds height to the Mean Green front line. Though not a 6-footer, at 5-foot-10, Stircklin would have been the tallest woman on last year's team that once again thrives on set pieces and playing balls in the air.
Stricklin is a prolific goal scorer who has played her club soccer with the Dallas Kicks. She plays her high school soccer at Heath where she's been one of the Metroplex's top goal scorers ever since she stepped on campus. She has had four-goal matches and has been a multiple all-district honoree and district MVP as a freshman.
Sadie McGill, Goalkeeper
Incoming freshman Sadie McGill of Fort Worth and soon-to-be graduate of L.D. Bell High School joins the Mean Green and will be one of two goalkeepers on the roster. She is one of the three 6-foot-1 recruits North Texas has added to the program.
McGill has played her club soccer for FC Dallas, won the U16 ECNL National Championship in 2017.
This year with FC Dallas, McGill has had a phenomenal season, posting a 91.7 save percentage.
Taylor Hunter, Defender
Local Denton product Taylor Hunter will make the short move from Guyer High School where she was coached by North Texas soccer alum Mandy Hall.
Hunter is another tall incoming freshman, standing at 6-foot-1, who will compete for the center back position that is open after fellow Denton native, and all-conference defender Carissa Sanders left after graduating this year.
Hunter helped lead Guyer to 15 wins a season ago and has earned all-district honors.
Quincy Sheppard, Defense
Murphy, Texas, native Quincy Sheppard will be the third Plano East High School graduate on the UNT roster. She is joining former teammates Elle Marie DeFrain and Natalie Newell at North Texas.
Sheppard is one of five children and is the fourth to play sports at the collegiate level, though she's the first to play soccer. Her older sister, Austin, was a gymnast at Michigan. Her older brother Ryan was a gymnast at Stanford and her older sister Skyler is a gymnast at Auburn.
Sheppard has played her club soccer with the Dallas Sting. 25 girls so far have signed NLIs on her U18/19 team.
Briana Beaty, Midfield
The second East Texas signee, Briana Beaty comes to North Texas from Tomball Memorial High School outside of Houston, where she's been a first team all-district and all-region player.
Last season, Beaty scored a game-winning goal over Whitehouse to win the Area championship and led her team to an 11-1-2 mark as the team scored 49 goals while only conceding five all year.
Beaty has played her club soccer with Dynamos SC
Players Mentioned
Midfield
/ Women's Soccer
Defense
/ Women's Soccer
Midfield
/ Women's Soccer
Defense
/ Women's Soccer
Defense
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