Five Notes To Know
9/11/2018 10:35:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DENTON – On Friday the North Texas women's soccer team begins its 2018 Conference USA schedule with a road match against the only C-USA team that beat the Mean Green a season ago, Old Dominion.
UNT (5-1-1) and the Monarchs played a closely contested match last year in Norfolk, Virginia, but in the 69th minute ODU broke the match open.
Below are five things every Mean Green soccer fan should know as the team heads into the most important stretch of the regular season.
NORTH TEXAS' BACKBONE IS STILL DEFENSE
North Texas has won a conference regular season and/or a conference tournament championship in four straight seasons. In 2015 when they won the regular season and tournament title, they had a program-record 15 shutout wins and 16 shutouts in total when including a 0-0 draw at Marshall that season.
During this stretch, defense has been the identity of this program and this season is no different.
The Mean Green defense has been stout and has held its seven non-conference opponents to an average shot on goal percentage of just .042. Combine that with goalkeeper Kelsey Brann's top-20 in the nation save percentage of .889, North Texas is giving up just .415 goals per match, which as of Tuesday ranks No. 18 in the nation.
NORTH TEXAS HAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST CONFERENCE SCHEDULES
There are 14 teams in Conference USA for women's soccer but the conference schedule is only 10 matches. The Mean Green drew the short straw and are playing their first three matches on the road and five of their first seven away from home.
After traveling to Old Dominion on Friday, UNT goes to Southern Miss and then to Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders feature Peyton DePriest who was picked by the conference's coaches as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
North Texas also doesn't match up with Rice until the final game of the year. The Owls were nationally ranked for most of last season and were picked to finish first in the C-USA Preseason Poll.
OLIVIA KLEIN HAS BEEN GOLDEN
Freshman forward Olivia Klein has recorded at least one point in five of North Texas' seven matches this season and ranks third out of all C-USA freshmen in points with eight, which is the second-best on the team. Klein has scored three goals this season on just nine shot attempts.
DOUBLE DIGITS
Senior Taylor Torres made it a personal achievement for herself to score 10 or more goals this season. Through the first seven games of the year, Torres has a team-leading five goals and is just three shy of tying her career-best of eight, which she reached last season. Torres, UNT's active leader in goals, assists and points, ranks third in the conference in goals per game and second in assists per game.
Three of Torres' five goals have been game-winning goals, which is the fifth-best in the country and one off the national leaders.
MORE IN THE TANK
While North Texas has gotten off to its hot start, most of its statistical production has come from just a handful of women. Of the team's 45 total points, 36 (80 percent) has come from just four players. The coaches expect a few more women to emerge as the season progresses, which will only further the team's offensive prowess and help them in its run to a 14th overall conference championship.
UNT (5-1-1) and the Monarchs played a closely contested match last year in Norfolk, Virginia, but in the 69th minute ODU broke the match open.
Below are five things every Mean Green soccer fan should know as the team heads into the most important stretch of the regular season.
NORTH TEXAS' BACKBONE IS STILL DEFENSE
North Texas has won a conference regular season and/or a conference tournament championship in four straight seasons. In 2015 when they won the regular season and tournament title, they had a program-record 15 shutout wins and 16 shutouts in total when including a 0-0 draw at Marshall that season.
During this stretch, defense has been the identity of this program and this season is no different.
The Mean Green defense has been stout and has held its seven non-conference opponents to an average shot on goal percentage of just .042. Combine that with goalkeeper Kelsey Brann's top-20 in the nation save percentage of .889, North Texas is giving up just .415 goals per match, which as of Tuesday ranks No. 18 in the nation.
NORTH TEXAS HAS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST CONFERENCE SCHEDULES
There are 14 teams in Conference USA for women's soccer but the conference schedule is only 10 matches. The Mean Green drew the short straw and are playing their first three matches on the road and five of their first seven away from home.
After traveling to Old Dominion on Friday, UNT goes to Southern Miss and then to Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders feature Peyton DePriest who was picked by the conference's coaches as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
North Texas also doesn't match up with Rice until the final game of the year. The Owls were nationally ranked for most of last season and were picked to finish first in the C-USA Preseason Poll.
OLIVIA KLEIN HAS BEEN GOLDEN
Freshman forward Olivia Klein has recorded at least one point in five of North Texas' seven matches this season and ranks third out of all C-USA freshmen in points with eight, which is the second-best on the team. Klein has scored three goals this season on just nine shot attempts.
DOUBLE DIGITS
Senior Taylor Torres made it a personal achievement for herself to score 10 or more goals this season. Through the first seven games of the year, Torres has a team-leading five goals and is just three shy of tying her career-best of eight, which she reached last season. Torres, UNT's active leader in goals, assists and points, ranks third in the conference in goals per game and second in assists per game.
Three of Torres' five goals have been game-winning goals, which is the fifth-best in the country and one off the national leaders.
MORE IN THE TANK
While North Texas has gotten off to its hot start, most of its statistical production has come from just a handful of women. Of the team's 45 total points, 36 (80 percent) has come from just four players. The coaches expect a few more women to emerge as the season progresses, which will only further the team's offensive prowess and help them in its run to a 14th overall conference championship.
Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
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Forward
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Forward
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