BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Since joining Conference USA in 2013, the North Texas soccer team has undoubtedly been the most dominate team in the league.

In six full seasons in C-USA, the Mean Green have won either the regular season or tournament championship seven times. 

They've won 50 total C-USA matches— seven more than the next most — and have won them at an 83 percent clip.  Additionally, they have never lost a home conference match.

However, on Sunday when North Texas travels to UAB, it has the opportunity to do something it has never done before — start C-USA play 5-0-0. Furthermore, this Mean Green team could become the first in the program's 25-year history to start league play with five consecutive shutouts. 

"The defense is playing really well this year and I think that's really contributed to my overall success as well," said keeper Kelsey Brann. "Dominique (James) and I know that our offense is still developing and we have many young players so we can't be off our game, because we know that our success as a team comes mostly from how strong we are on defense. I'm trying my best every game to stay locked in and not let anybody catch me off my guard so we can keep getting shutouts."

In its first four conference matches, North Texas (9-3-0, 4-0-0) has grinded out shutout wins. 

Three of the Mean Green's four shutout wins have been 1-0 victories. 

But in those three matches, the defense has smothered opposing offenses. All of which came into their games against UNT averaging two or more goals per game. 

Sophomore Brann has further established herself once again as the league's top keeper. Brann has eight shutouts on the year — three more than any other keeper in C-USA. In fact, Brann has more shutouts this season than 10 of the 13 other teams in the conference have wins. 

Brann is quickly climbing up the program's all-time shutout leaderboard and is just four shutouts away from moving into second place. 

On Sunday when the Mean Green face the Blazers (2-4-4, 0-2-1) at 1 p.m. on CUSA.tv, it'll be the sixth time the two teams have met. North Texas has won four straight against UAB and shut them out in all four.