University of North Texas Athletics
Model Of Consistency
7/13/2018 1:22:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Carissa Sanders Nears Program Record For Minutes Played
Denton —While aspects of the Mean Green women's soccer team have slightly changed during its current streak of four-straight conference championships, one constant has glued the years together and led the program's winning culture to become perpetual.
The cohesion of the 20-plus women on the team and their now habitual competitiveness.
As the team begins its preseason work and are now less than a month from its first match of the 2018 season, the championship drive is beginning.
"I never want to come out of games," said North Texas senior defenderCarissa Sanders. "If I do come out, even for a breather, it sucks. Being in for a entire match give you a sense of pride."
Sanders, maybe more than anyone else who's worn a Mean Green uniform exemplifies consistency. Entering her final season, Sanders is on the verge of setting the program-record for most minutes played by a non-goalie, which currently stands at 7,235 minutes by 2007 graduate Dani Slavonic
"I want to lead our team to a fifth-straight title and more," Sanders said. "And I can't do that on the sideline."
When the Denton native came to UNT in 2015, she was already part of a Mean Green winning culture. UNT had won the 2014 conference title — it's 9th in just its 20th season — and the team had reliable upperclassmen.
"When I was a freshman I looked up Jackie (Kerestine)," Sanders said. "She was a constant in goal and you just knew she was going to do everything and all to get us a win.
That season in 2015, North Texas won its most games in program history and posted its best single-season winning percentage at 19-4-1 (.812). They won the Conference USA regular season and tournament championship.
Kerestine played the entirety of 20 matches that year and set the program-record for most minutes played in a single year. She graduated in 2015 as the program's all-time leader in minutes played for any position.
"She set the bar," Sanders said. "When we showed up to workouts or practice or in the game you had to match her."
But when Kerestine left, the bar wasn't lowered.
Sanders moved from outside back to center back and picked up where Keretine had left and has helped the Mean Green's winning tradition remain unbroken with two more conference championships in 2016 as a sophomore and last year as a junior.
"We all see how hard she works and it motivates the rest of the team," said junior center back Dominique James. "When I first started playing center back with her I mimicked everything she did. I knew if I was doing what she was doing I would be good."
MOM AND DAD
In 2017, North Texas once again won a conference championship and once again had the best defense in the conference and one of the best in the country.
Led by Sanders and James in the middle of the defense, the Mean Green posted 11 shutouts in their 22-match season and the duo earned the nickname "mom and dad" from assistant coach Fleur Benatar.
"The center backs are the mom and dad of the defense," Benatar said. "The outside backs are the kids and the center backs are always keeping an eye on them and wrangling them in when they get too far away. They're yelling at the midfield and giving instructions to the entire team."
Athleticism has always been Sanders' strength. Being more vocal, however, is where she needed the most work when she was moved to the center back position as a sophomore.
Sanders, who has been described by her coaches as "extremely coachable," has been persistently with her coaches on her technique, fitness but also on how to be more vocal and how to communicate commands to the rest of the team.
"She's proved to us that she's someone we don't want to take out of games," Benatar said. "She's definitely physically is the standard and is a big part of why we've been able to maintain our championship character."
Sanders said it still hasn't sunk in yet that she's about to play her final season of collegiate soccer. But regardless of that, she doesn't want to break what alums like Kerestine started and she's now continued.
"The goal for this year is to make a run in the NCAA Tournament," Sanders said. "I want to further set the bar and lead our team to that and I can't do it if I'm not playing. So breaking the minutes played record would be a huge honor, because it means the coaches trust me and that I did everything I could to help our team accomplish our goals."
