Women's Soccer - SMU vs. North Texas

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Huge game in Denton Friday night. SMU really needs to play well, get the win, and build their confidence before the trip to LA next weekend...

North Texas will certainly be up for this one. They have a ridiculous goals scored total in their three games, but they haven't played anybody. It's kind of cool they mention we are regionally ranked in their preview!

http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1800&ATCLID=205263453

Undefeated Soccer Hosts Rival SMU, at Houston

Friday, Sept. 2, 2011 - 7 p.m.
SMU Mustangs (3-1-0, 0-0-0 C-USA) at
North Texas Mean Green (2-0-1, 0-0-0 SBC)
Mean Green Soccer Complex (1,000) - Denton, Texas
Series History: SMU leads 8-4-2
Last Meeting: L, 3-2 (2ot) (9/17/2010) at NT

North Texas Looks To Continue Unbeaten Start Against SMU And Houston
Undefeated North Texas looks to continue their unbeaten start with its toughest opponents so far, SMU and Houston. Friday night's contest against SMU, sees North Texas take on its first regionally-ranked foe this season, as SMU is ranked 8th in the Central. The Metroplex rivals have played their last four games to either draws or one-goal games, but SMU is 3-0-1 in that span, including last season's contest at North Texas, which broke the all-time attendance record. North Texas takes on Houston on Sunday, who finished 3rd in C-USA one year ago. Houston's 0-3-0 record reflects their strength of schedule so far, with losses to Texas, Duke and North Carolina, all of whom are regionally-ranked.

North Texas vs. SMU - Metroplex Derby
The Mean Green have a heated area derby with the Mustangs, with a series that is much more competitive than the 8-4-2 record suggests. Every game since 2006 has been decided by a single goal, including a scoreless draw in 2006, but the Mustangs have gone 3-0-1 in that span, building their lead from 5-4-1. The Mustangs and Mean Green met in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, with the Mustangs avenging an earlier loss that season with a 3-0 win. North Texas set its home attendance record with 1,246 spectators for last season's contest against SMU. SMU is ranked 8th in the Central Region.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Also - Courtney Smith has this week's edition of Pony Tales. Quite appropriate with her goal against OU Sunday...

http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/090111aab.html

[pony717]

Great job, Courtney, on this week's edition of Pony Tales and great job against OU!

[Treadway21]

Thanks for the soccer updates DanF

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Unfortunately, it was a sad night in Denton as SMU fell 2-1 to North Texas.

North Texas scored on a header from a long free kick about five minutes into the second half, but SMU equalised just two minutes later as Olivia Elliott made a nice run into the box to get on the end of a beautiful running cross from Courtney Smith.

North Texas scored with three minutes left after a bad backpass from Kaitlyn Eidson. Webb was able to get to it but her kick deflected off the charging North Texas player and she was able to get it into the net.

Definitely a frustrating way to lose the game - especially when North Texas had played a poor backpass just a few minutes earlier, and when Ryanne Lewis was able to get to the poor clearance from their keeper it deflected just a foot wide.

We didn't really play too poorly. North Texas played with a bunch of energy. I didn't think they would be able to keep it up all night, and when a bunch of the North Texas players started cramping in the final minutes I thought the game was going to be ours for sure - especially if it went to overtime.

Once again, the game reflected story of the early season. Lots of great chances but unable to finish, and it comes back to haunt us in these close games.

To be fair - their keeper was phenomenal. Her drop kicks (especially in the first half with the wind) were sailing 10-15 yards into our end. It definitely took us a bit of time to adjust to her great services because they generated a couple of early chances directly from the keeper. We also had two golden chances that were totally earmarked for the back of the net (once on an Eidson header from a corner, and once from a Lewis strike to the far low left corner) where that yellow arm and white hand appeared just at the last second.

No idea what happened on their late goal. Eidson certainly didn't need to play it back. Maybe it was some bad communication? But - that's the kind of thing that happens late in close games on the road.

The other thing that must be mentioned is North Texas was, once again, totally going after Rikki Clarke. They ended up taking a yellow against Clarke, but then Clarke got them back with a yellow of her own a few minutes later which was awesome. It was especially cool to see four or five of the Mustangs players come up and give Clarke a high-five after she took her yellow!

It will be interesting to hear Erwin's take on this one. I really thought we looked ok. We controlled a majority of the second half. There was a period of about 15-20 minutes where Webb didn't even touch the ball.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

I forgot the most important detail - we broke out the red shirts with white shorts and blue socks!

Keepers were in the silver tops with black shorts and socks.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Definitely don't want it to sound like the blame is on Eidson or Webb or anything. Eidson was the last defender and had a play on a ball about 30-35 yards out, and could have just punched it forward, but probably turned it over as well. She didn't know a North Texas player was making a run behind her, so when she played it back to Webb, it caused Webb to have to rush out to play it - and the North Texas player was able to get a deflection. Just one of those bad luck plays. It's so much more obvious from the stands.

Webb and the defense played great all night - it's just a shame to have a breakdown with just three minutes left. I'm sure none of us will sleep well tonight.

Checked the stats - they credited the SMU goal as an own goal. Elliott did crash into the keeper, so they must have determined the keeper actually touched the ball and muffed it into the net. Either way, it was a great hustle play from both Smith and Elliott.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

SMU Falls 2-1 At North Texas
Mean Green score game-winner in the 87th minute

http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/090211aaa.html

DENTON (SMU) - The SMU women's soccer team fell 2-1 to North Texas Friday night at the Mean Green Soccer Complex.

Nikki Crocco scored the game-winner for North Texas (3-0-1) with just over three minutes remaining. A Mean Green attacker poked the ball into the box and as SMU goalkeeper Courtney Webb came out for the ball, Crocco stole the ball away and put in the eventual winner. The goal was Crocco's second of the game.

SMU (3-2-0) started the game well, testing North Texas' goalkeeper early on. Ryanne Lewis had SMU's best chance of the first half after getting around the keeper at the top of the box, but pressure forced her shot to sail high.

North Texas got on the board first in the 53rd minute as a Kelsey Hodges' free kick from just past the midfield line found Crocco in the box, who headed the ball in.

SMU wasted no time in getting the equalizer. Twenty seconds later, an SMU cross from deep in the corner was knocked in by a Mean Green defender to level the game.

SMU finished the match creating the more dangerous possessions, outshooting North Texas 10-6, while having two more shots on goal.

SMU will look to rebound next weekend as the team finishes up its four-game road stretch in Los Angeles, Calif. The Mustangs play No. 6 UCLA on Sept. 9 at 9 p.m. CT, and Loyola Marymount on Sept. 11 at 3 p.m.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Soccer Beats SMU With 87' Goal From Crocco

http://www.meangreensports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1800&ATCLID=205265862

DENTON, Texas- Nikki Crocco scored in the 86th minute to break a tie to give North Texas a 2-1 win over area rivals, and the 8th ranked team in the Central Region, SMU in the Metroplex Derby. Crocco scored two goals on the evening, and now has scored five in the past two games.

North Texas (3-0-1) remains undefeated on the season and has won its first contest against SMU (3-2-0) since 2005. Each of the last five games have been decided by a goal or less between the two DFW schools. The game was attended by 1,283 fans, breaking the school record set last year's SMU-North Texas game at 1,246.

After a tense and scoreless first half, Crocco started the scoring for North Texas in the 53rd minute, as she headed a wonderful free kick from Kelsey Hodges, taken from behind the midfield stripe, into the net. North Texas' celebrations were short-lived, as the North Texas backline could not cope with an SMU cross and knocked it into their own net to tie the score. Hodges now has three assists on the season, tying her for the team lead with Michelle Young.

With extra time looming, Nikki Crocco stole the ball from SMU keeper Courtney Webb with 3:07 remaining and knocked the ball into the open net which sent the record crowd into a frenzy. Crocco's goal was the first game winner in the last ten minutes of regulation for the Mean Green since Michelle Young scored in the 88th minute to beat Middle Tennessee on Nov. 4, 2009. Crocco has scored five of North Texas' last six goals, all in the past two games.

Jackie Kerestine played her first complete game in goal tonight for the Mean Green, and made three saves, in addition to cutting out several key SMU crosses. Kerestine's GAA is now at 0.71 for the season.

SMU outshot North Texas 10-6, but North Texas won more corners, by a 10-6 count, and the game. The game was very physical between the two rivals, with 25 total fouls

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Interesting there were no quotes from Erwin in the release, and no postgame interview either. Maybe he was just being smart to stay off the record because I'm sure he had to be pretty upset with last night.

I still maintain we played well. Their keeper singlehandedly kept them in the match a few times. She appears to be kind of a stud.

UCLA is obviously a great learning experience type of game (although of course the team would never say that), but we should have a decent shot against Loyola Marymount.

[redpony]

Let's hope this team can get things turned around very quickly. They have too much talent to lose to teams like nt.

GO PONIES!!!

[NT_Fan]

Seriously? NT JUCO System? SMU certainly has a very nice soccer program, and a great team, but the program that NT has should not be seen as inferior. If we were talking mens soccer it would be a little different as you guys have a top 25 team and we don't have a team at all. (darn Title IX)

There was a record crowd there last night, and NT happened to come out on top. SMU certainly put NT under some serious pressure at times (forcing a couple crazy saves from our 6'1" freshman GK), but so did NT on SMU (albeit probably not quite as much). I would not say that either team significantly out played the other. SMU had an own goal, and the game winner for NT was on a mental mistake from SMU.

I'm not trying to troll, and you won't find me commenting on anything that does not directly deal with NT...but come on...give credit where it is due.

Good luck to you guys the rest of the year.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

There was a record crowd there last night, and NT happened to come out on top. SMU certainly put NT under some serious pressure at times (forcing a couple crazy saves from our 6'1" freshman GK), but so did NT on SMU (albeit probably not quite as much). I would not say that either team significantly out played the other. SMU had an own goal, and the game winner for NT was on a mental mistake from SMU.

I'm not trying to troll, and you won't find me commenting on anything that does not directly deal with NT...but come on...give credit where it is due.

Good luck to you guys the rest of the year.

You guys had a great crowd last night. It was a lot of fun.

The best moment was once after Redman was caught offside a group of 10 or 15 fans all yelled "You just let the whole team down" - it even made the SMU crowd laugh.

I don't know all the details of your recruits, but that goalkeeper looks like she could be something special. She flat out stole two goals of ours last night. I'm sure she will steal a few games for you this season as well. I can't believe she didn't start the day she set foot on campus.

Obviously, the facts don't lie - SMU and UNT games are always close. Unfortunately we made the mistake last night...

[NT_Fan]

I'm not really sure about the NT recruiting class either. I do know that somehow we have a Frosh GK that has skills and is taller than the entire womens basketball team...

Anyways, I really hope NT and SMU continue the series. I have been to the last 3 in person (2 of the SMU wins). I was really impressed with the composure on the ball the SMU team had, which made the bad back pass really surprising.

I don't know her name, but the blonde girl that played a lot of the game up top seemed like a pretty good player.

Hope you guys enjoyed your trip to Denton. Good luck against UCLA (NT could use the RPI boost). See you in Dallas next year!