Oct. 27, 2008

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU junior goalkeeper Craig Hill was named Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week after posting a pair of shutouts at UAB and UCF to lead the Mustangs to crucial conference victories on the road.

Hill collected five saves against the Blazers Wednesday in Birmingham and eight against the Knights in Orlando to raise his season total to 56. In the process, he also lowered his goals-against average to 0.85. The shutouts were his fifth and sixth of the season, and raised his career total to seven.

The conference Defensive Player of the Week award is the first for Hill, who also has been named to the all-tournament team at all three tournaments in which the Mustangs have played this year that named a team: the University of Virginia Classic in Charlottesville, Va., the Prego's Express Italian Men's Soccer Invitational and the Level 3 and Radisson Hotel Hurricane Classic in Tulsa, Okla.

The Mustangs return to action as 12 p.m. this Sunday when they host the Kentucky Wildcats in the final regular-season home game at Westcott Field in a game that will be broadcast nationally (Tuesday, on a tape-delay) on CBS College. The Conference USA Championship also will be played at Westcott Field Nov. 12-16.

For ticket information, log on to SMUMustangs.com, or call 214-SMU-GAME.