Mustangs Face Denver In Second Round Of NCAA Tournament
Nov 20 | Men's Soccer
| SMU (14-2-4, 7-0-1 AAC) vs. Denver (15-0-3, 5-0-1 Summit League) | |
| Date & Start Time | Sunday, Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT |
| Location | CIBER Field - Denver, Colo. |
| Game Notes | Game Notes |
| Ticket Information | SMU at Denver - Ticket Information |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Live Stream | Pioneer Vision |
| Tournament Central | NCAA Tournament |
| /SMUMustangs | /SMUSoccerM | |
| @SMUMustangs | @SMUSoccerM | |
The Week Ahead…
The SMU men's soccer team heads to Colorado to face No. 13-seeded Denver in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Sunday at 6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT.
Scouting the Pioneers…
Denver enters Sunday's match with an overall record of 15-0-3, earning a first round bye of the NCAA Tournament. The Pioneers finished the 2015-16 season as the only unbeaten team in 2015.
Andrew Shinyashiki leads the Pioneers in shots with 45, while three different players have tallied five goals for Denver. Goalkeeper Dan Jackson has recorded 39 saves in the net for Denver posting a .37 goals-against-average.
Series History…
The Mustangs are 2-0 all-time against Denver. In the last meeting, SMU defeated the Pioneers, 2-0, in the Tulsa Classic on September 18, 2003.
Let's Dance…
SMU has made the NCAA Tournament 18 of the past 22 years, last advancing to the round of 32 in 2011. The Mustangs fell to No. 10 Akron, 3-2, on Nov. 20, 2011 in the Second Round.
It is the 30th postseason appearance for SMU, posting an overall record of 32-22-8. 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.
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 and senior Idi Camara have tallied five apiece. Thirteen different players have also posted assists for SMU, including a team-leading 10 from sophomore Jared Rice, and eight from Cichero. Of the Mustangs 13 wins this season, seven different players have netted the winning goal.
Looking Back…
In the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, the Mustangs defeated Utah Valley, 2-0, off goals from Brenden Lee and Idi Camara.
The Mustangs got their first strike in the 24th minute after Mauro Cichero's shot deflected off the Utah Valley goalkeeper and Brenden Lee was there for the follow up. The goal was Lee's 6th of the season and the assist was Cichero's 8th.
SMU's insurance goal came in the 61st minute after Camara collected a pass from Lee and shot it passed the Utah Valley goalkeeper.
The Mustangs outshot the Wolverines, 12-11, Cichero leading the way with four. Taylor Curtis and Camara attempted two shots apiece while Jared Rice, Stanton Garcia, Bryce Clark and Lee tallied one shot each to round out the total.
Up Next…
The winner of SMU and Denver will take on the winner of Akron and Rutgers either November 28 or 29. If Akron wins, the third-round match will be played at Akron, if Rutgers wins, the third round match will be played at the winner of Denver and SMU.
