Mustangs Host Utah Valley In First Round Of NCAA Tournament
Nov 17 | Men's Soccer
| SMU (13-2-4, 7-0-1 AAC) vs. Utah Valley (14-5-2, 6-3-1 WAC) | |
| Date & Start Time | Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. CT |
| Location | Westcott Field |
| Game Notes | Game Notes |
| Ticket Information | Tickets |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Live Stream | PonyUp TV |
| Tournament Central | NCAA Tournament |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUSoccerM | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUSoccerM | |
NCAA Bracket
The Week Ahead…
The SMU men's soccer team hosts Utah Valley in the NCAA Tournament first round Thursday, Nov. 19 at Westcott Field with a 7 p.m. CT kick off.
Scouting The Wolverines…
Utah Valley enters Thursday's match with an overall record of 14-5-2, earning an at-large bid to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines finished the 2015-16 season in second place in the Western Athletic Conference and came up just short of the WAC Championship title after falling in PKs, 5-4, to Seattle University.
Skyler Milne leads the Wolverine's in goals with 9, while Karson Payton leads the team in shots with 54. Goalkeeper Collin Partee has recorded 37 saves in the net for Utah Valley posting a .97 goals-against-average.
Series History…
This is the first all-time meeting between SMU and Utah Valley.
Let's Dance…
SMU has made the NCAA Tournament in 18 of the past 22 years, last hosting the first round in 2012 when they tied Winthrop, 1-1, but were eliminated on penalty kicks, 3-1.
It is the 30th postseason appearance for SMU, posting an overall record of 31-22-8. The Mustangs reached the Elite Eight in 2010 and advanced to the College Cup in 2000 and 2005.
We Are The Champions…
On Oct. 31, SMU clinched the American Athletic Conference regular-season championship with an overall record of 13-2-3. The last time the Mustangs were the regular-season champion was in 2012 when they were members of Conference USA. SMU last won the conference tournament in 2011 also as members of Conference USA.
Dominating The American…
After winning the regular season American Athletic Conference season title, SMU dominated The American post-season awards. Michael Nelson repeated as Goalkeeper of the Year, John Lujano was named Midfielder of the Year, Mauro Cichero was named the Offensive Player of the Year and Kevin Hudson and his staff was named Coaching Staff of the Year. Nelson, Cichero and Lujano were also selected to the First Team All-Conference team, while Jordan Cano was selected to the Second Team All-Conference. Freshmen Christian Boorom, Emil Cuello and Caleb Smith were selected to the All-Rookie Team.
No Place Like Home…
The Mustangs finished the 2015 regular season with a 10-1-1 record on the Hilltop. In conference matches, SMU went undefeated at 4-0. With a combined 13-2-3 mark on the season, the Ponies are currently on a 13 match unbeaten streak with their last loss being on Sept. 13.
Share The Credit…
Ten different players have accounted for the Mustangs' goals this season, with sophomore Mauro Cichero leading the way with 10, while redshirt-junior Brenden Lee, junior Stanton Garcia and senior Idi Camara have five apiece. Thirteen different players have also posted assists for SMU, including a team-leading 10 from sophomore Jared Rice, and seven from Cichero. Of the Mustangs 13 wins this season, seven different players have netted the winning goal.
Looking Back…
In the semifinals of the conference tournament, the Mustangs tied Tulsa, 2-2, in double overtime, but fell in penalty kicks, 4-3.
Idi Camara, Mauro Cichero and Jared Rice each found the back of the net on their penalty kick attempts, but Tulsa had the advantage and advanced to Sunday's conference final against Connecticut where they defeated the Huskies in PKs, 4-3.
Tulsa maintained a 1-0 lead until the 42nd minute when Camara found the equalizer on a penalty kick after a Golden Hurricane foul in the box. The goal was the senior's fifth goal of the season.
It was Tulsa who would find the next goal after Bradley Bourgeois received a pass and punched the ball into the back of the net. The Mustangs found the second equalizer of the day in the 88th minute, which eventually pushed the match into overtime, after Rice's corner kick hit the post and bounced off a Tulsa player and into the back of the net. The goal was his first of the season.
Tickets…
Tickets for Thursday's game are $6 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. The cost for students with a valid SMU ID is $3.
Next Game…
The winner of this game will play at No. 13 seed Denver in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at 6 p.m. CT/ 5 p.m. MT.
