UNT Women’s Soccer Wins 11-0 With Crocco’s Hat Trick
DENTON, Texas- North Texas put together its highest goal output in 11 years as it cruised to an 11-0 win over Grambling at the Mean Green Soccer Complex on Sunday afternoon. Nikki Crocco had three goals in 3:34 for her first career hat trick. Julie Lackey and Carly McDowell also had multi-goal games for the Mean Green.
The 11 goals scored by North Texas are the most the Mean Green have scored in a single game since October 8, 2000, when it beat Arkansas State 11-0. This game ties with the 2000 contest for the third-most goals scored by North Texas in a single game, and it shatters the record for most goals scored at the Mean Green Soccer Complex, which was eight, set most recently last year.
The Mean Green improve to 2-0-1, while Grambling falls to 0-2-0. Along with Baylor and UTEP, North Texas is one of three schools in Texas to have not lost a soccer game this year.
Nikki Crocco, who had just three career goals in 35 games at North Texas, was chosen to take a penalty kick in the 72nd minute, which she put away for her first goal of the season, and first career goal from the spot. The senior from Southlake took a pass from Kelsey Petty just two minutes later and danced around the Grambling keeper for her second goal of the game. Crocco found a loose ball on a corner kick at the 74:38 mark to complete her hat trick, the first of her career. With Michelle Young earning a hat trick on Friday, this is the first time that North Texas has had hat tricks in back-to-back games since 2005, when Heather Hutyra scored hat tricks against SMU then Grambling.
Julie Lackey made her first start of the season, and the senior from Humble scored just 1:49 into the game with an assist from Kelsey Perlman. Lackey doubled her total in the 9th minute, as she volleyed home a Michelle Young cross for her second goal of the game. This is Lackey’s third career multi-goal game.
Carly McDowell would score two goals of her own to close out the first half. McDowell scored in the 27th minute with an assists from Ellen Scarfone and Michelle Young. McDowell scored a second time, giving her a second career multi-goal game, in the 35th minute with an assist from Kelsey Hodges.
Michelle Young capped off her career weekend with a goal and three assists today to go with her three goals against Texas Southern. Young scored off of a Kelsey Hodges cross in the 61st minute, then assisted Hodges in the 66th minute for another goal. This is the first multi-assist game of Young’s career, as she earned three today. Young is the first player since Kendall Juett had three assists on October 13, 2006 that a Mean Green player helped on three or more goals.
Ellen Scarfone scored in the 60th minute, giving the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference pick her first goal of the season, and the assist on McDowell’s 26th minute goal was her second of the year. Kelsey Hodges, also a preseason All-SBC pick, scored in the 66th minute and assisted on two others.
Katelyn Ross scored the 11th goal for the Mean Green, with the score coming in the 81st minute. Ross, along with Michelle Young and Kelsey Hodges, has scored in back-to-back games for the Mean Green.
Kara Brooks, who celebrated a birthday on Saturday, registered her first career assist on Scarfone’s 60th minute goal.
North Texas picked up its second team shutout on Sunday, as keepers Jackie Kerestine and Haley Newsom were largely untested. Kerestine’s goals against average is down to 0.55, and Newsom’s is down to 0.71.
North Texas out-shot Grambling 27-4. North Texas earned five corners to Grambling’s one.
The Mean Green return to the pitch on Friday, September 2, as they host SMU in a DFW Derby, a series which has seen the last four games decided by a single goal or less. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at the Mean Green Soccer Complex.
