Sunday, November 10
Noon
University of North Texas
15-5-1, 7-2-1
5
vs
2
Florida Atlantic
15-4-2, 8-1-1
1
2
F
North Texas
2
3
5
Fla. Atlantic
2
0
2
Conference Champions
11/10/2019 2:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DENTON — The North Texas soccer beat Florida Atlantic 5-2 in the finals of the Conference USA Tournament on Sunday in front of its home crowd to claim its third straight league tournament title and eighth overall title since joining C-USA in 2013.
With the win, the Mean Green earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday's win, which is the program's 16th overall conference title in its 25-year history was won behind goals from senior Natalie Newell, sophomore Olivia Klein, junior Logan Bruffett and two goals from freshman Allie Byrd.
Newell and Brooke Lampe were named to the all-tournament team while senior Dominique James was named the tournament's Defensive MVP and Byrd was named the tournament's Offensive MVP.
UNT will find out who they're playing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday with the NCAA Selection Show, which begins at 3:30 CT.
"So proud of my team throughout the entire tournament, they showed so much fight, will and determination to get the three wins we needed to become the 2019 tournament champions," said head coach John Hedlund. "We all circled this championship date a long time ago when we found out we were going to host the conference tournament and my seniors and captains were determined that we were going to host the championship trophy at home in front of all of our wonderful fans. Today became reality and we all achieved our main goal and now we're headed to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in school history, how exciting!"
North Texas, which hasn't lost at home game against a conference opponent since 2008, jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Sunday in the 13th minute. Newell, from just atop the 18-yard box fired her second goal of the year as she beat the FAU keeper. The lead, however, wouldn't last long as the top seeded Owls scored six minutes later to tie the match.
With momentum building they'd sneak another goal past the UNT defense to take a 2-1 lead in the 32nd minute and put the Mean Green in an unfamiliar situation.
It was the first time this season North Texas had allowed two or more goals against a conference opponent and only twice this year had the Mean Green scored more than two goals in a conference game.
But with one play right before the half, the game changed.
On a counter deep pass to the UNT attacking third of the field, the Mean Green's Berklee Peters saved a pass from going to the FAU defender and punted to the other side of the field where Klein was wide open and sprinting towards the net. Klein controlled the pass and blasted it into the net to tie the match with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
With the match tied at two and the home crowd behind them, UNT took full advantage early in the second half.
Coming off of a corner kick from Michelle Gonzalez, junior Logan Bruffett snuck behind the Owls' defense and headed in the deep pass into the corner of the net. With the lead a sigh of relief seemed to come over all the fans at the North Texas Soccer and Track & Field Stadium. But that relief would turn into excitement as Byrd brought the fans to their feet with her eighth goal of the season.
After FAU's defense cleared a cross into the box, senior Madeline Guderian corralled the ball roughly 40 yards out and crossed the ball into the 6-yard box where Byrd was waiting. The 6-foot-0 freshman leaped over the smaller Owls defenders and headed the ball into the net to give her team a two-goal lead in the 58th minute.
Byrd then put the icing on the cake when James, the last line of defense, cleared a through ball from FAU, and punted it into the Mean Green's attacking third of the field. There to receive the kick was Byrd, streaking down the field. Byrd toe-tapped the pass from James past the keeper and UNT had a dominate lead in the 72nd minute.
With the win, the Mean Green earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Sunday's win, which is the program's 16th overall conference title in its 25-year history was won behind goals from senior Natalie Newell, sophomore Olivia Klein, junior Logan Bruffett and two goals from freshman Allie Byrd.
Newell and Brooke Lampe were named to the all-tournament team while senior Dominique James was named the tournament's Defensive MVP and Byrd was named the tournament's Offensive MVP.
UNT will find out who they're playing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday with the NCAA Selection Show, which begins at 3:30 CT.
"So proud of my team throughout the entire tournament, they showed so much fight, will and determination to get the three wins we needed to become the 2019 tournament champions," said head coach John Hedlund. "We all circled this championship date a long time ago when we found out we were going to host the conference tournament and my seniors and captains were determined that we were going to host the championship trophy at home in front of all of our wonderful fans. Today became reality and we all achieved our main goal and now we're headed to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in school history, how exciting!"
North Texas, which hasn't lost at home game against a conference opponent since 2008, jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Sunday in the 13th minute. Newell, from just atop the 18-yard box fired her second goal of the year as she beat the FAU keeper. The lead, however, wouldn't last long as the top seeded Owls scored six minutes later to tie the match.
With momentum building they'd sneak another goal past the UNT defense to take a 2-1 lead in the 32nd minute and put the Mean Green in an unfamiliar situation.
It was the first time this season North Texas had allowed two or more goals against a conference opponent and only twice this year had the Mean Green scored more than two goals in a conference game.
But with one play right before the half, the game changed.
On a counter deep pass to the UNT attacking third of the field, the Mean Green's Berklee Peters saved a pass from going to the FAU defender and punted to the other side of the field where Klein was wide open and sprinting towards the net. Klein controlled the pass and blasted it into the net to tie the match with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
With the match tied at two and the home crowd behind them, UNT took full advantage early in the second half.
Coming off of a corner kick from Michelle Gonzalez, junior Logan Bruffett snuck behind the Owls' defense and headed in the deep pass into the corner of the net. With the lead a sigh of relief seemed to come over all the fans at the North Texas Soccer and Track & Field Stadium. But that relief would turn into excitement as Byrd brought the fans to their feet with her eighth goal of the season.
After FAU's defense cleared a cross into the box, senior Madeline Guderian corralled the ball roughly 40 yards out and crossed the ball into the 6-yard box where Byrd was waiting. The 6-foot-0 freshman leaped over the smaller Owls defenders and headed the ball into the net to give her team a two-goal lead in the 58th minute.
Byrd then put the icing on the cake when James, the last line of defense, cleared a through ball from FAU, and punted it into the Mean Green's attacking third of the field. There to receive the kick was Byrd, streaking down the field. Byrd toe-tapped the pass from James past the keeper and UNT had a dominate lead in the 72nd minute.
Team Stats
UNT
FAU
Goals
5
2
Shots
19
7
Shots on Goal
9
6
Saves
4
4
Corners
6
9
Fouls
13
10
Scoring Plays
Natalie Newell (1)
GOAL by UNT Newell, Natalie.
12:58
Elisha Holmes (1)
Assisted By: Pernille Velta
GOAL by FAU Holmes, Elisha Assist by Velta, Pernille.
18:35
Sammy Vitols (1)
Assisted By: Pernille Velta
GOAL by FAU Vitols, Sammy Assist by Velta, Pernille.
31:40
Olivia Klein (1)
Assisted By: Berklee Peters
GOAL by UNT Klein, Olivia Assist by Peters, Berklee.
37:51
Logan Bruffett (1)
Assisted By: Michelle Gonzalez
GOAL by UNT Bruffett, Logan Assist by Gonzalez, Michelle.
54:04
Allie Byrd (2)
Assisted By: Madeline Guderian
GOAL by UNT Byrd, Allie Assist by Guderian, Madeline.
57:37
Allie Byrd (2)
Assisted By: Dominique James
GOAL by UNT Byrd, Allie Assist by James, Dominique.
71:04
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
6
SOG
2
Goals
2
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
Defense
/ Women's SoccerForward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfield
/ Women's Soccer
Defense
/ Women's Soccer
Defense
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Forward/Midfield/Defense/Goalkeeper
/ Women's Soccer
Defense
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
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