DENTON, Texas—Like Bon Jovi said, who said you can't go home?

It is a homecoming for nine members of the Northwestern State soccer team when it travels to Denton on Sunday to battle North Texas (1-0) to officially kick off the Ian Brophy era.

Game time is at 7 p.m. at the Mean Green Soccer and Track & Field Stadium. The match will be televised on ESPN+.

UNT began its season with a convincing 3-0 win on the road against UNLV on Thursday evening.

Of the nine making their return near the Metroplex, freshman Dawson Marrs is the one player who is from Denton.

In her final two seasons at Lake Dallas High, she recorded 19 goals and 11 assists, earning first and second team all-conference selections.

"I am super excited because this is my first time coming home since I got here," Marrs said. "It will also be the first time seeing my friends and family again and they'll come out and watch. It's pretty intense, but exciting."

Along with Marrs, Caroline Hilliard (Corinth), Taylor and Jessica Spitzer (Allen), Madison Murphy (Frisco), Emme' and Sara Fernandez (Van Alstyne), Emily Mougia (Sachse) and Riley Stern (Fort Worth) are from cities within 50 miles of Denton.

Corinth, where Hilliard is from, is just about 10 minutes away from Denton and the NSU junior is familiar with the surroundings.

"I know the area really well," Hilliard said. "I drive past UNT all the time, so it is awesome to be able to go back home and play on a field I've played on before."

Brophy is aiming to make history, becoming the first soccer coach at NSU to win his or her first game as head coach.

"There's always nerves," Brophy said. "Especially when you're playing against a team like North Texas. Being my first game at Northwestern State that counts, that is something I am looking forward to. All that excitement naturally brings some nerves, but we are really looking forward to it."

Taylor Spitzer, one of the nine making the trip back close to home, leads the NSU offensive attack. The Southland Conference preseason second team selection is the returning leading scorer, tallying four goals and a pair of assists in 2022 as a freshman for 10 points, which was fourth on the team.

Her point total came in just 11 games.

Defensively, Hilliard is aiding a back line that lost some of the greatest players in program history. Hilliard, a preseason second team SLC selection, helped surrender just a single goal in exhibition play. Newcomer Alina Graf and returner Jessica Spitzer are two of several who have impressed during camp.

"The defensive unit has been really strong," Hilliard said. "While we lost a number of great players, we also gained some great players. We work really well together and are super cohesive and there is good chemistry on the back line. Everybody is a super hard worker, so I am really excited about this defensive back line."

In the overall series, NSU is 0-5 against UNT with four taking place in Denton. The last meeting between the two schools came in 2019, a 7-0 win by the homestanding Mean Green, also in the regular season opener.
UNT is coming off a 2022 campaign that finished 12-6-2, ending with a berth in the conference tournament semifinals.

With a team that contains 15 newcomers, this is a barometer for where the team is at and what NSU has still to work on.

"If we can compete and play well and give North Texas a good game, that would show well for the rest of the season," Brophy said. "This game gives us a perfect jumping off point for our players right away. They will know the standard because they know what a good team North Texas is."

Following the game, NSU heads to Mississippi State for a Thursday matchup, the first of two contests in the non-conference schedule against an SEC foe. The Lady Demons return home for the first time in the regular season on Aug. 27 for a game against Rice.