University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Zach Del Bello
Soccer Has Eight Voted All-Conference, Klein POTY
11/1/2022 11:55:00 AM | Women's Soccer
DENTON — North Texas women's soccer fifth-year senior Olivia Klein was voted the 2022 Conference USA women's soccer Player of the Year, announced by the league on Tuesday.
The Mean Green team captain, who finished the regular season as the league-leader in goals scored with nine, was one of eight UNT soccer student-athletes to earn all-conference awards on Tuesday. UNT had the most players named to all-conference teams. It is the most all-conference award winners North Texas has had in a single season in program history, surpassing the 2018 season when the Mean Green had seven.
OLIVIA KLEIN | C-USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR | C-USA FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Klein is the fourth Mean Green soccer player in program history to be named a league's player of the year.
Most recently, Klein's former teammate Dominique James earned C-USA Player of the Year honors in 2018.
In addition to her C-USA Player of the Year honor, Klein was voted first team all-conference on Tuesday. Along with this being her first league player of the year accolade, it is the first time she's been named to an all-conference team. The Frisco native who helped lead UNT to the 2018 and 2019 C-USA championship as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, entered this season averaging 3.5 goals per season. Her nine goals so far this year are a single-season career best.
TAYLOR TUFTS | C-USA FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Joining Klein on the 2022 C-USA First Team All-Conference honor for UNT is fellow captain Taylor Tufts.
Tufts, a 2022 C-USA Preseason All-Conference honoree, was one of the best in the league this season at creating goals and scoring. Tufts finished the regular season as the league-leader in assists per match and tied for the league-lead in total assists (8) despite playing fewer matches.
This is the second year in a row the Southlake native has led the league in assists. The redshirt junior midfielder was voted second team all-conference last season.
RACHEL ROEBUCK | C-USA SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
UNT newcomer and team captain Rachel Roebuck earned her first all-conference notch on Tuesday as she was named to the 2022 C-USA All-Conference Second Team.
The Paris junior college transfer emerged as one of the league's top defenders as the season progressed. The junior from Royse City became such a stable force for the Mean Green backline that she hardly ever came out of matches. Before getting injured on Oct. 16 versus UTSA and missing the rest of the regular season, she played 552 straight minutes of action. She is expected to return for the conference tournament this week. Roebuck was in the running for a first team all-conference honor.
ALLIE BYRD | C-USA THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Senior Allie Byrd earned 2022 C-USA All-Conference Third Team honors on Tuesday. Byrd has now been named all-conference all four years she's been at North Texas. She is just the fifth Mean Green soccer player in the program's 28-year history to be named to an all-conference team all four seasons at UNT. The four previous are all in the North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame: Rachel Holden, Kendall Juett, Marilyn Marin and Christy Johnson.
Byrd suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of last season and wasn't cleared to play until the week of this season's opener. As this year progressed, Byrd formed into her all-conference shape. She scored three goals in the final four matches of the year to help propel North Texas into a second-place finish, including the match-winner against Louisiana Tech in the game's final seconds to secure second place. She fired off 19 shots over the final six matches, putting 11 on target.
MADI STARRETT | C-USA THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Junior outside back Madi Starrett was voted third team all-conference on Tuesday. Starrett, who in 2020 was voted to the C-USA All-Freshman Team, started every match she played in this season for North Texas. She was critical for the Mean Green on defense as she helped UNT shutout seven opponents. She was also one of the league's best on the attack. Her six assists this season were a single-season best for the Frisco native and tied for the fourth-best in the league this year.
North Texas had three named to the 2022 Conference USA All-Freshman Team, more than any other school in C-USA this season. This is the first time in C-USA the Mean Green have had multiple freshmen named to an all freshman team.
KAT BURNELL | C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN
Forward Kat Burnell burst on to the scene in the season opener against Abilene Christian. Though she didn't score she put 11 shots on goal in the 5-1 victory. She then followed that performance up with a hat trick against Oral Roberts. Burnell was an explosive goal-scoring talent for North Texas this season and finished the season second in the league in shots on goal with 22 (1.22 per match). She finished the year with five goals scored.
SUMMER BROWN | C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN
Forward Summer Brown was one of the most athletic freshmen forwards in the league. The Arlington native earned a start in UNT's season opener and went on to score three goals this season, including against Texas Tech. She played in every match this season for North Texas and similar to many freshmen on his roster, head coach John Hedlund sees a high-ceiling for Brown as she progresses.
DANI JACOBSON | C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN
Not only was Dani Jacobson the only freshman starting goalkeeper in C-USA, she was one of just three starting goalkeepers in the league that wasn't a senior or fifth-year senior. Jacobson, who doesn't turn 18 until mid-November, posted an 11-4-2 record on the year and had seven shutouts — the third-most in the league. She had the league's third-best goals-against average and in conference ranked fifth in saves. She is the first North Texas freshman goalkeeper to start a match since hall of famer Jackie Kerestine in 2011.
North Texas begins the 2022 Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday at 10 a.m. CT. The Mean Green who earned the second seed in the tournament will face Western Kentucky in its opening match. UNT beat WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1-0, earlier this season.
The 2022 Conference USA Tournament is hosted by Charlotte. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Mean Green team captain, who finished the regular season as the league-leader in goals scored with nine, was one of eight UNT soccer student-athletes to earn all-conference awards on Tuesday. UNT had the most players named to all-conference teams. It is the most all-conference award winners North Texas has had in a single season in program history, surpassing the 2018 season when the Mean Green had seven.
OLIVIA KLEIN | C-USA PLAYER OF THE YEAR | C-USA FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Klein is the fourth Mean Green soccer player in program history to be named a league's player of the year.
Most recently, Klein's former teammate Dominique James earned C-USA Player of the Year honors in 2018.
In addition to her C-USA Player of the Year honor, Klein was voted first team all-conference on Tuesday. Along with this being her first league player of the year accolade, it is the first time she's been named to an all-conference team. The Frisco native who helped lead UNT to the 2018 and 2019 C-USA championship as a freshman and sophomore, respectively, entered this season averaging 3.5 goals per season. Her nine goals so far this year are a single-season career best.
TAYLOR TUFTS | C-USA FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Joining Klein on the 2022 C-USA First Team All-Conference honor for UNT is fellow captain Taylor Tufts.
Tufts, a 2022 C-USA Preseason All-Conference honoree, was one of the best in the league this season at creating goals and scoring. Tufts finished the regular season as the league-leader in assists per match and tied for the league-lead in total assists (8) despite playing fewer matches.
This is the second year in a row the Southlake native has led the league in assists. The redshirt junior midfielder was voted second team all-conference last season.
RACHEL ROEBUCK | C-USA SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
UNT newcomer and team captain Rachel Roebuck earned her first all-conference notch on Tuesday as she was named to the 2022 C-USA All-Conference Second Team.
The Paris junior college transfer emerged as one of the league's top defenders as the season progressed. The junior from Royse City became such a stable force for the Mean Green backline that she hardly ever came out of matches. Before getting injured on Oct. 16 versus UTSA and missing the rest of the regular season, she played 552 straight minutes of action. She is expected to return for the conference tournament this week. Roebuck was in the running for a first team all-conference honor.
ALLIE BYRD | C-USA THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Senior Allie Byrd earned 2022 C-USA All-Conference Third Team honors on Tuesday. Byrd has now been named all-conference all four years she's been at North Texas. She is just the fifth Mean Green soccer player in the program's 28-year history to be named to an all-conference team all four seasons at UNT. The four previous are all in the North Texas Athletic Hall of Fame: Rachel Holden, Kendall Juett, Marilyn Marin and Christy Johnson.
Byrd suffered a season-ending knee injury at the end of last season and wasn't cleared to play until the week of this season's opener. As this year progressed, Byrd formed into her all-conference shape. She scored three goals in the final four matches of the year to help propel North Texas into a second-place finish, including the match-winner against Louisiana Tech in the game's final seconds to secure second place. She fired off 19 shots over the final six matches, putting 11 on target.
MADI STARRETT | C-USA THIRD TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Junior outside back Madi Starrett was voted third team all-conference on Tuesday. Starrett, who in 2020 was voted to the C-USA All-Freshman Team, started every match she played in this season for North Texas. She was critical for the Mean Green on defense as she helped UNT shutout seven opponents. She was also one of the league's best on the attack. Her six assists this season were a single-season best for the Frisco native and tied for the fourth-best in the league this year.
North Texas had three named to the 2022 Conference USA All-Freshman Team, more than any other school in C-USA this season. This is the first time in C-USA the Mean Green have had multiple freshmen named to an all freshman team.
KAT BURNELL | C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN
Forward Kat Burnell burst on to the scene in the season opener against Abilene Christian. Though she didn't score she put 11 shots on goal in the 5-1 victory. She then followed that performance up with a hat trick against Oral Roberts. Burnell was an explosive goal-scoring talent for North Texas this season and finished the season second in the league in shots on goal with 22 (1.22 per match). She finished the year with five goals scored.
SUMMER BROWN | C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN
Forward Summer Brown was one of the most athletic freshmen forwards in the league. The Arlington native earned a start in UNT's season opener and went on to score three goals this season, including against Texas Tech. She played in every match this season for North Texas and similar to many freshmen on his roster, head coach John Hedlund sees a high-ceiling for Brown as she progresses.
DANI JACOBSON | C-USA ALL-FRESHMAN
Not only was Dani Jacobson the only freshman starting goalkeeper in C-USA, she was one of just three starting goalkeepers in the league that wasn't a senior or fifth-year senior. Jacobson, who doesn't turn 18 until mid-November, posted an 11-4-2 record on the year and had seven shutouts — the third-most in the league. She had the league's third-best goals-against average and in conference ranked fifth in saves. She is the first North Texas freshman goalkeeper to start a match since hall of famer Jackie Kerestine in 2011.
North Texas begins the 2022 Conference USA Tournament on Wednesday at 10 a.m. CT. The Mean Green who earned the second seed in the tournament will face Western Kentucky in its opening match. UNT beat WKU in Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1-0, earlier this season.
The 2022 Conference USA Tournament is hosted by Charlotte. All matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
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Goalkeeper
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Defense
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