DENTON (8/11/06) The North Texas women’s soccer team, coming off its best season in school history, is ranked 14^th in the Central Region to begin the 2006 season by Soccer Buzz Magazine. The Central Region, comprised of 68 teams, features some of the powerhouses in women’s soccer and the Mean Green will do battle with a number of those teams this season.

Of the teams the Mean Green will face this year, USC is ranked 17^th in the national poll to begin the season, while SMU, Nebraska, and Florida Atlantic are regionally ranked. Middle Tennessee and Oklahoma, who North Texas faces in an exhibition game, both received votes in the Central Region poll.

The Mean Green returns 10 starters from a team that made its second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and tied a school record with 16 wins. Junior forward Heather Hutyra, the reigning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, leads the way for North Texas this season.

She enjoyed a breakout season last year with 20 goals and 47 points and marched her way into the record books at North Texas. Freshman of the Year Kelli Lunsford is back after posting the second most goals on the team with seven last season.

In net, first-team all-conference goalkeeper Kandice Ellis returns after one of the best seasons in school history.  Ellis notched seven shutouts and posted the fifth best goals against average in school history and the third most shutouts in school history.

North Texas begins their exhibition season on Friday, Aug. 18 with a home game against Oklahoma and then on Saturday, Aug. 19 with a match against the Alumni. Both games will be played out at the new Soccer Stadium at the Mean Green Village.