The Mean Green Split Trip to Missouri
LU LIONS TOP NORTH TEXAS 20-7
Article by Michael Boyle
St. Charles, MO (March 1, 2008) – The University of North Texas Mean Green had a long weekend on the road, beginning with a 13 hour drive to St. Charles, MO for a Saturday game against the Lindenwood Lions. After pushing hard against the No. 14 Lions, the Mean Green suffered a disappointing 20-7 loss.
Before Saturday’s game, Coach Lynch commended the Lindenwood program. “We have a lot of respect for the LU squad. There is a good reason why they’ve maintained such a high standing in the latest Lax World Top 25 Poll.”
This match-up would mark the first time North Texas had challenged the Lindenwood Lions since the inception of their team. “We prefer to play a very open style,” continued Lynch. “We’ll have to see how LU limits our ability to do so. If we can play the game we want, we should be alright in the end.”
The Lions came out making it a point to close off the Mean Green’s “open style.” Within the first three minutes, Lindenwood had a strong 3 point lead which would continue to grow throughout the game.
North Texas sophomore attackman and strong shooter Phillip Johnson had an exemplary game, but he couldn’t solve the “rough and tumble” Lindenwood defense to secure an upset road victory.
LU junior d-man Andrew Schroeder covered the powerful North Texas attackman for a good portion of the game, and was respectful of the skill Johnson possesses. “He’s a quick dodger with good speed and stick skills. But with someone on him the whole game, I think we did a good job of slowing him down.”
Schroeder went on to compliment the rest of the Lions’ defensive unit. “We have good games when we play together as a team. We pulled ahead today because there was a lot of talking, and Tim [Jennings, junior goalie] really keeps our heads in the game.”
Before continuing their road trip to Springfield, MO to face the Missouri State Bears, Coach Lynch commented on his team’s performance: “Defensively, we just didn’t play aggressively enough to match their spirit. Lindenwood has some great offensive units, and they were really able to show us what they could do.”
MEAN GREEN REBOUNDS IN SPRINGFIELD
Article by Michael Boyle
Springfield, MO (March 2, 2008) – On Sunday, the UNT Mean Green arrived in Springfield for their second game of the weekend, facing-off against Missouri State.
“We’ve matched up against the Bears before,” commented North Texas Head Coach Karl Lynch. “In the past few years, they’ve beaten us twice, and we’ve walked away with one victory. This is one of our out-of-conference rivalries, and we’re really looking forward to evening out the series.”
Lynch’s predictions would prove true when the North Texas squad loaded back on the bus after a resounding 17-8 victory over the Bears. After Saturday’s disappointing loss at Lindenwood, it was a relief for the Mean Green to head home with a win from their long road trip through Missouri.
Bears’ Head Coach Daren Turner commented before the game: “We need to slow down the Mean Green by holding possession on offense. We have a strong midfield line led by senior Mark Livesay and an excellent attack led by team captain Nick King.”
“MSU took a lot of shots,” Coach Lynch remembered. He was thankful that his defense was able to force long-range attempts from the Bears’ powerful offense.
The North Texas offense also played a great game, with sophomore Phillip Johnson and freshman middie Matt Reid each putting four goals on the scoreboard. “We played much better than we had on Saturday,” Lynch continued, saying that a contributing factor to their victory was that the Mean Green “was much better in transition.”
North Texas loaded up their bus and rode the Green Machine back to Denton with a 5-2 record after their weekend in Missouri. They remain at home for practice until their next road trip to California on March 22, when they will face the Claremont Cougars, the USCD Tritons, and the Loyola Marymount Lions.
