University of North Texas Athletics
Thursday, August 18
7 PM CT
University of North Texas
vs
Abilene Christian
Soccer Opens Season Thursday Versus ACU
8/17/2022 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DENTON — The most successful women's soccer program in Conference USA history begins its final season in the league on Thursday.
UNT, who joined the league in 2013, has won eight C-USA titles — more than any program in the league's 27-year history — opens the 2022 season with a home match on Thursday versus Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. CT. Thursday's match will be streamed on ESPN+.
North Texas moves to the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023.
Head coach John Hedlund, who founded the Mean Green program in 1995 and still has never had a losing season, has become the university's all-time winningest head coach during his now 27 full seasons in Denton. He enters Thursday's contest with 373 career victories. Before North Texas even made the move from the Sun Belt to C-USA in 2013, Hedlund had built a dominate program that at the time had won eight league trophies. But since joining Conference USA, he and his program have doubled that total in just nine seasons.
Furthermore, since 2013, they are 41-0-4 (.955) in C-USA home matches, 60-14-10 (.773) in all regular season league matches and 75-19-13 (.815) in all C-USA competitions.
But most notably, from 2014 through 2019, North Texas won either a league regular season and/or tournament title in each season. They reached the NCAA Tournament four times and never lost a home conference match. In fact, they haven't lost a home league contest since Oct. 31, 2008. The 64-match active home conference match unbeaten streak is the longest such streak in NCAA women's soccer history.
But before the Mean Green begin their final conference season, which begins Sept. 15 at home versus Charlotte, they are testing themselves with a challenging non-conference slate.
Along with their season opener on Thursday versus ACU, North Texas also hosts Oklahoma (Sept. 1), Texas State (Sept. 4) and Texas Tech (Sept. 11). In between their matches with Texas State and Texas Tech, the Mean Green will take a trip down to Dallas to face SMU at the Mustangs' new Washburne Stadium.
BYRD, TUFTS VOTED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
North Texas women's soccer senior forward Allie Byrd and junior midfielder Taylor Tufts were named to the 11-woman 2022 Conference USA Preseason All-Conference team on Wednesday.
The all-conference team was voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. The two Mean Green returners each earned 2021 C-USA All-Conference honors after last season.
SUPER SENIOR
Fifth-year senior Olivia Klein is back for the Mean Green. The Frisco native who ranks second among active players on the team in career goals is the most veteran player for UNT with 70 matches played under her belt including two NCAA Tournament appearances.
NEWCOMERS
Fifteen of the 28 players on this season's Mean Green roster are newcomers. Of the 13 returners, only four started at least half of last season's matches: Tufts (17), Byrd (14), Klein (12), Starrett (9). UNT played 17 matches last year.
HOME OPENER DOMINANCE
A win versus ACU would mark the 11th straight season opener North Texas has won. The last time they didn't win a season opener was in 2011 when they tied Oral Roberts 2-2 (2ot). They haven't lost a season opener since 2005 when they fell 2-0 versus Eastern Illinois.
LAST 42
Over its last 42 home matches, UNT has lost just twice.
WHEN UNT SCORES TWO
UNT is 304-24-8 (.916) all-time in matches where they score 2+ goals. Since the start of the 2013 season, UNT is 90-4-2 (.947) in such matches.
ONE OF JUST TWO ACTIVE COACHES
In 27 full seasons, the Mean Green have never had a losing season. Head coach John Hedlund has been the program's only head coach. Hedlund and legendary North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance are the only active head coaches who have coached at one university for over 20 years and never had a losing season.
UNT, who joined the league in 2013, has won eight C-USA titles — more than any program in the league's 27-year history — opens the 2022 season with a home match on Thursday versus Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. CT. Thursday's match will be streamed on ESPN+.
North Texas moves to the American Athletic Conference on July 1, 2023.
Head coach John Hedlund, who founded the Mean Green program in 1995 and still has never had a losing season, has become the university's all-time winningest head coach during his now 27 full seasons in Denton. He enters Thursday's contest with 373 career victories. Before North Texas even made the move from the Sun Belt to C-USA in 2013, Hedlund had built a dominate program that at the time had won eight league trophies. But since joining Conference USA, he and his program have doubled that total in just nine seasons.
Furthermore, since 2013, they are 41-0-4 (.955) in C-USA home matches, 60-14-10 (.773) in all regular season league matches and 75-19-13 (.815) in all C-USA competitions.
But most notably, from 2014 through 2019, North Texas won either a league regular season and/or tournament title in each season. They reached the NCAA Tournament four times and never lost a home conference match. In fact, they haven't lost a home league contest since Oct. 31, 2008. The 64-match active home conference match unbeaten streak is the longest such streak in NCAA women's soccer history.
But before the Mean Green begin their final conference season, which begins Sept. 15 at home versus Charlotte, they are testing themselves with a challenging non-conference slate.
Along with their season opener on Thursday versus ACU, North Texas also hosts Oklahoma (Sept. 1), Texas State (Sept. 4) and Texas Tech (Sept. 11). In between their matches with Texas State and Texas Tech, the Mean Green will take a trip down to Dallas to face SMU at the Mustangs' new Washburne Stadium.
BYRD, TUFTS VOTED PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
North Texas women's soccer senior forward Allie Byrd and junior midfielder Taylor Tufts were named to the 11-woman 2022 Conference USA Preseason All-Conference team on Wednesday.
The all-conference team was voted on by the league's 11 head coaches. The two Mean Green returners each earned 2021 C-USA All-Conference honors after last season.
SUPER SENIOR
Fifth-year senior Olivia Klein is back for the Mean Green. The Frisco native who ranks second among active players on the team in career goals is the most veteran player for UNT with 70 matches played under her belt including two NCAA Tournament appearances.
NEWCOMERS
Fifteen of the 28 players on this season's Mean Green roster are newcomers. Of the 13 returners, only four started at least half of last season's matches: Tufts (17), Byrd (14), Klein (12), Starrett (9). UNT played 17 matches last year.
HOME OPENER DOMINANCE
A win versus ACU would mark the 11th straight season opener North Texas has won. The last time they didn't win a season opener was in 2011 when they tied Oral Roberts 2-2 (2ot). They haven't lost a season opener since 2005 when they fell 2-0 versus Eastern Illinois.
LAST 42
Over its last 42 home matches, UNT has lost just twice.
WHEN UNT SCORES TWO
UNT is 304-24-8 (.916) all-time in matches where they score 2+ goals. Since the start of the 2013 season, UNT is 90-4-2 (.947) in such matches.
ONE OF JUST TWO ACTIVE COACHES
In 27 full seasons, the Mean Green have never had a losing season. Head coach John Hedlund has been the program's only head coach. Hedlund and legendary North Carolina head coach Anson Dorrance are the only active head coaches who have coached at one university for over 20 years and never had a losing season.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfield
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