Mean Green Earn Dramatic Draw Against League Leader - University of North Texas Athletics

Sunday, October 25

Denton, TX

1 PM

University of North Texas

4-6-5, 0-3-4

Memphis

8-3-3, 5-0-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Memphis	0	1	1
North Texas	0	1	1

10/25/2026 4:14:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

DENTON – Just more than a minute after Memphis broke through and took a lead against UNT on Sunday afternoon, the Mean Green had a corner kick, and longtime head coach John Hedlund made a last-second decision.

Instead of his usual corner taker, Mia Bernard, stepping up, he yelled for reserve defender Georgia Guenther, and her dangerous left boot, to take the kick.

She proceeded to hit a perfect corner and bent it into the Memphis goal to tie the score in the 65th minute and earn a 1-1 draw with the American Conference leader, and perennial power, to keep the Mean Green's postseason hopes alive with two regular-season matches remaining.

"It was the best coaching decision I've ever made," Hedlund said with a laugh, as he put his arm around Guenther, who was also celebrating her birthday on Sunday.

"He told me to hit it in the middle, and that's where I was aiming, but I guess I hit it just right and it went in," said Guenther, who scored her first goal in her two seasons at UNT.

After the equalizing goal, the teams played a frantic final 25 minutes with each team having a few good scoring chances on a day when the Mean Green outshot Memphis, who leads the conference in goals per game and shots per game.

"Really proud of my team today — they followed the game plan for the entire 90 minutes," Hedlund said. "Memphis has been the standard of this conference ever since we joined the American, and [Memphis head coach] Brooks [Monaghan], who I have so much respect for, has done a tremendous job with his championship program. Even before this game, I knew in my heart we were a top-5 team in the conference. We've just been unlucky with all the ties and not maximizing the points. Today, everyone saw how good this team really is, playing toe-to-toe with the best team in the league."

The Mean Green will stay home to face rival UTSA on Friday night for a 7 p.m. kickoff, in what will be Hedlund's final home match before he retires following 32 seasons leading the program, before hitting the road for the regular-season finale at Tulsa on Nov. 3.