August 31, 2017

By Dylan Edwards, SMUMustangs.com

DALLAS - Relentless is the theme for the 2017 SMU women's soccer team. Early into this season, the No. 22 Mustangs have shown that it's more than just a word repeated around the program. It's how they play the game.
 
Despite playing a difficult schedule to this point that has included two ranked teams and a two-game west coast road swing, Chris Petrucelli's squad has yet to drop a contest through the first four games.
 
"They've been relentless, there's no doubt about that," Petrucelli said "They've fought really hard. They keep coming and coming. They've been really good as the game wears on. They get better and better. They've embraced it."
 
The Mustangs have thrived in the late stages of the game. Time after time, they have found the right run of play to either grab an equalizer or go-ahead goal with time running out.
 
Against No. 17 Arkansas, the game-winner came in the 97^th minute in overtime from senior Claire Oates. Oates came up big again against Gonzaga, finding the equalizer with only 12 minutes of play remaining. Against Washington, freshman Isabelle Nashmi equalized early in the second half followed by junior Vanessa Valadez delivering the overtime golden goal in the 100^th minute.
 
The most impressive thing about this team's flair for second half fireworks is how they have been able to respond despite playing four overtime matches in as many games. Playing that type of minutes can take a serious toll on legs early in the season.
 
"It's hard to keep your focus when you're that tired (late in games)," Petrucelli said. "One overtime game is a lot. I've never seen anything like four. We've been able to still ride it out."
 
That speaks volumes to the leadership the team has to keep everyone moving forward. It also proves that the team took the offseason program seriously. It's common in any sport to see some fatigue set in late in games while still early in the season. The Mustangs, however, own the second half and overtime. All four of SMU's goals have come in the 58th minute or later while opponents are yet to break through after the first half of play.
 
"What you're seeing is a lot of the players that are scoring and creating goals at the end are older players. They've been through it."
 
It also helps that opponents have been given next to nothing in the Mustang defensive half. Opponents are averaging fewer than five shots on goal per game while SMU's backline has conceded a goal just twice this season. In a scoreless draw, No. 16 Oklahoma managed just two shots on goal in 110 minutes of play.
 
"The interesting thing is coming into this season, the back line was the big question mark," Petrucelli said. "We graduated two seniors at center back, and we were putting in two sophomores there. The team as a whole has been committed to defending. The thing we keep saying is that if we don't give up goals, we're not going to lose."
 
The Mustang's unbeaten start has vaulted them into the top-25 for the first time since 2006 and for the first time under Petrucelli.
 
"We've certainly grown," Petrucelli said. "We've gotten better. We don't pay much attention to the rankings and that sort of things, but it's nice to be recognized. Our kids feel pretty good about where they're at right now."
 
SMU returns to the pitch tonight, Thursday, August 31 against Sam Houston State at 7 p.m. The first 200 fans in attendance at Westcott Field will receive an SMU drawstring bag.