No. 21 Mustangs Set for Cincinnati
Oct 15 | Men's Soccer
| No. 21 SMU (9-2-2, 4-0) at Cincinnati (6-5-2, 1-1-2) | |
| Date & Start Time | Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. CT |
| Location | Gettler Stadium |
| Game Notes | Game Notes |
| Live Stats | Gametracker |
| Live Video | Watch Live |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUSoccerM | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUSoccerM | |
The Week Ahead…
Coming off a 2-0 week against Memphis and Connecticut, the SMU men's soccer team hits the road to take on Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT at Gettler Stadium.
On the National Stage…
The Mustangs broke into the NSCAA Coaches Poll at No. 21 this week after receiving votes for the past two weeks and posting a seven match unbeaten streak since Sept. 13. The Mustangs last occupied a spot on the Top 25 list in the Sept. 1 poll as they were No. 23.
Sophomore Mauro Cichero was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week for his performance in a 3-1 victory over Memphis and scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Connecticut last week.
SMU sits at No. 19 in the College Soccer News Top 30 National Poll.
Scouting The Bearcats…
Cincinnati enters Saturday's match with a 6-5-2 overall record, and a 1-1-2 record in American Athletic Conference play. Alejandro Garcia leads the Bearcats with 17 points (eight goals, one assist), while Emmanuel Appiah leads team in shots with 27. Goalkeepers Pedro Diaz and Alex Gill have split time in goal for the Bearcats and post a combined 1.69 goals-against-average with 40 saves.
Series History…
The Mustangs are 5-1 all-time against Cincinnati with the last match being in 2014 when SMU defeated the Bearcats, 2-0, on the Hilltop.
Looking Back…
In a 3-1 win over Memphis, Stanton Garcia, Christian Boorom and Mauro Cichero each scored a goal to extend the Mustangs' away record to 2-1-1.
In a 1-0 victory over Connecticut, Cichero tallied his eighth goal of the season after he got his head on a Jared Rice cross off a free kick. The assist was Rice's seventh of the season, a team high.
American Honors…
Redshirt sophomore Michael Nelson was named the AAC Goalkeeper of the Week after recording his fifth shutout of the season in a 1-0 victory over Connecticut. In matches against Memphis and Connecticut, the Katy, Texas, native racked up a total of seven saves and led the Mustangs to their seventh straight victory. Nelson has 42 saves this season and is sporting a 1.03 goals-against-average with a .750 save percentage.
The award is the Mustangs' sixth player of the week award of the season with Cichero earning Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 5 and Sept. 7, Emil Cuello earning Rookie of the Week on Oct. 5 and Sept. 21 and Rice earning Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 28.
Change In Leadership…
Former SMU standout Kevin Hudson enters his first season as the Ponies' head coach after being named the fourth head coach in the program's history on Jan. 9, 2015. Hudson spent seven seasons as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2014 season after returning to the Hilltop in 2007.
Up Next…
The Ponies return to the Hilltop to host Tulsa on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. CT at Westcott Field.
