University of North Texas Athletics
Thursday, September 17
Denton, TX
7 PM
University of North Texas
4-3-2, 0-0-1
1
vs
1
South Florida
2-4-2, 0-0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Fla. | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| North Texas | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Soccer Earns Home Point in Conference Opener
9/17/2026 9:58:00 PM | Women's Soccer
DENTON — The UNT soccer team's American Conference opener on Thursday night had all the makings of the first match of league play.
Every ball was hotly contested, both the Mean Green and South Florida played a physical style that resulted in 27 combined foul calls that resulted in three yellow cards and a red card, and both teams gave everything they had to take points in the conference opener.
After the 1-1 draw, both teams entered the weekend with one point in the conference standings, as the Mean Green fought back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to earn the tie.
UNT (4-3-2, 0-0-1) outshot the Bulls (2-4-2, 0-0-1) 11-2 in the first half and were outshooting them 10-1 when McKenna Battilla hit a rocket into the upper-90 just out of UNT goalkeeper Sarah Margaret Seabrook's reach to give South Florida a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.
Shots were tied 6-6 in the second half as the match became more physical, and on one of several instances when UNT junior forward Claire Niedermeier was fouled and hit the deck, the referee awarded UNT a free kick just outside the penalty box in the 52nd minute.
Enter sophomore forward Payton Annis.
The dynamic Annis showed her skill on a brilliant right-footed rip into the upper-90 past South Florida keeper Gaby Rourke to even the score at 1-1 on her first goal of the season.
"Payton came through with a huge goal for us tonight on an incredible upper-90 free kick," head coach John Hedlund said. "Both teams traded shots all night, but we just couldn't find the game-winner. USF is a talented squad every year—especially with their international kids in the lineup—and for the second year in a row, we ended in a draw. We'll shift our focus and get ready for Charlotte next week."
In the closing moments, senior captain Mia Bernard was given a red card, which forced the Mean Green to play with just 10 players for the final three minutes, but they were able to hold on and earn the point.
The Mean Green will now enjoy the weekend off before hitting the road to face a strong Charlotte team next Thursday at 6 p.m.
Every ball was hotly contested, both the Mean Green and South Florida played a physical style that resulted in 27 combined foul calls that resulted in three yellow cards and a red card, and both teams gave everything they had to take points in the conference opener.
After the 1-1 draw, both teams entered the weekend with one point in the conference standings, as the Mean Green fought back from a 1-0 halftime deficit to earn the tie.
UNT (4-3-2, 0-0-1) outshot the Bulls (2-4-2, 0-0-1) 11-2 in the first half and were outshooting them 10-1 when McKenna Battilla hit a rocket into the upper-90 just out of UNT goalkeeper Sarah Margaret Seabrook's reach to give South Florida a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.
Shots were tied 6-6 in the second half as the match became more physical, and on one of several instances when UNT junior forward Claire Niedermeier was fouled and hit the deck, the referee awarded UNT a free kick just outside the penalty box in the 52nd minute.
Enter sophomore forward Payton Annis.
The dynamic Annis showed her skill on a brilliant right-footed rip into the upper-90 past South Florida keeper Gaby Rourke to even the score at 1-1 on her first goal of the season.
"Payton came through with a huge goal for us tonight on an incredible upper-90 free kick," head coach John Hedlund said. "Both teams traded shots all night, but we just couldn't find the game-winner. USF is a talented squad every year—especially with their international kids in the lineup—and for the second year in a row, we ended in a draw. We'll shift our focus and get ready for Charlotte next week."
In the closing moments, senior captain Mia Bernard was given a red card, which forced the Mean Green to play with just 10 players for the final three minutes, but they were able to hold on and earn the point.
The Mean Green will now enjoy the weekend off before hitting the road to face a strong Charlotte team next Thursday at 6 p.m.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Midfield
/ Women's Soccer
Forward
/ Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
USF
UNT
Goals
1
1
Shots
8
17
Shots on Goal
4
6
Saves
5
3
Corners
6
1
Fouls
12
15
Scoring Plays
McKenna Battilla (1)
GOAL by USF Battilla, McKenna.
27:00
Payton Annis (1)
GOAL by UNT Annis, Payton.
51:11
Game Leaders
fwd
Shots
3
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
5
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
mid
Shots
4
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
Friday, September 05
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