Thursday, August 25
Dallas, Texas
7 p.m.
SMU
vs
Northwestern State
SMU Hosts Northwestern State Thursday
Aug 23 | Women's Soccer
| SMU (0-0, 0-0 The American) vs. Northwestern State (1-1, 0-0 The Southland) | |
| Date & Kickoff Time | Thurs., Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. CT |
| Location | Westcott Field - Dallas, Texas |
| Video | Live Stream |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Game Info | Game Notes (.pdf) |
| SMU WSOC | SMU Mustangs | |
| @SMUSoccerW | @SMUMustangs | |
The SMU women's soccer team hosts Northwestern State Thursday at 7 p.m. CT on Westcott Field. The match is the second of a three-game homestand, after the game against Rice was cancelled due to flash flooding. The Mustangs close the homestand on Sunday, as SMU hosts Texas A&M - Corpus Christi at 5:30 p.m. Fans can get tickets by calling 214-SMU-GAME (214-768-4263) or visiting SMUMustangs.com/tickets. All home games will be aired on PonyUp TV, with Steve Lansdale making the call. Live stats are also provided on SMUMustangs.com.
SCOUTING SMU: The Mustangs return eight starters including five (Vanessa Valadez, Claire Oates, Taylor Barg, Taylor Jackson and Kelsey Gorney) who started every game in 2015. Vanessa Valadez started all 18 games and led SMU with eight goals (7th AAC), 20 points (9th AAC), 1.11 points per game (6th AAC), 42 shots and 20 shots on goal. The 2015 AAC All-Rookie Team honoree was also tied for the team-lead in assists (4). Of the 25 woman roster, 16 members are in their freshman or sophomore year of eligibility, while sporting just five seniors. The Mustangs bring in 10 freshman this season including Katina Tsapos who was rated a four-star prospect by TopDrawerSoccer. She was also the District 5-6A MVP in 2015, made the Dallas Morning News All Area Girls Team and was the District 6A All-State Honorable Mention in 2015.
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN STATE: The Lady Demons are 1-1 overall, and coming off a 3-0 loss at Ole Miss. Northwestern State opened the season with a 2-0 victory at Arkansas-Little Rock. NSU went 5-10-4 last season, with a 2-6-3 record in the Southland Conference and missed the conference tournament. Junior Esdeina Gonzalez returns for her junior year and will lead the team up front after registering six goals and two assists in 19 games last season. Gonzalez earned NSU's first All-Southland Conference selection (second team) since 2009 and was named an All-Louisiana honorable mention after leading the team in goals, shots on goal (27) and game-winning goals (3). With the departure of Brooke Bourbonais, junior goalkeeper Alex Latham will take over in the net. Latham recorded 73 saves and posted an .802 save percentage, while finishing seventh in the conference with a goals against average of 1.35.
SERIES: The Mustangs and Lady Demons will meet for the second time, with SMU holding a 1-0 edge overall. The only match came last season in Dallas, where SMU posted a 3-0 shutout to claim the only series win.
Northwestern State; 1-0
H: 1-0, A: 0-0, N: 0-0
September 13, 2015 Dallas, Texas W, 3-0
H: 1-0, A: 0-0, N: 0-0
September 13, 2015 Dallas, Texas W, 3-0
LAST WEEK: Severe storms in northern Texas forced the cancellation of the 2016 regular season opener between SMU and Rice. The game was originally delayed due to thunder and lightning, before flash flooding made the field unplayable. The game will not be made up.
UP NEXT: The Mustangs will have a quick turnaround and square off against Texas A&M - Corpus Christi Sunday at 5:30 p.m. CT. The Islanders are 0-2 this season, with a game at North Texas before meeting at SMU. Corpus Christi is coming off a record-setting season, where it posted five victories for the first time in program history. In 2015, a 5-11-2 overall record, and a 5-5-1 conference record, sent the Islanders into the Southland Conference Tournament, the first of its young history. Entering the 2016 campaign A&M-Corpus Christi's roster will feature 10 upperclassmen, including seven seniors, and 11 newcomers.
2015 SEASON REVIEW: In 2015, the Mustangs finished 5-10-3 overall, and ninth in the American Athletic Conference with a 2-6-1 conference mark. SMU recorded all five victories (5-5-1 record) at Westcott Field, where the Mustangs converted 19 of its 25 goals. While at Westcott, the Mustangs topped opponents in goals (19-15), shot attempts (154-82), goals scored per game (+.37) and shots per game (+6.5). Vanessa Valadez was named to the AAC All-Rookie team after leading the Mustangs in goals (8), points (20), shots (42) and shots on goal (20), while tying Blair Thorpe and Lissi Lonsberry for the most assists (4). Claire Oates earned All-AAC Second Team honors.
SCHEDULE: The SMU women's soccer team will play 19 regular season games, with 11 at Westcott Field. The Mustangs will face six opponents that appeared in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, Butler, BYU, Washington, UCF, Connecticut and Cincinnati. Connecticut is ranked 15th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason poll, while BYU checks in at No. 16. USF, UCF and Washington all are all receiving votes.
SMU ATHLETICS, SOCCER PROGRAMS TO SEE FACE LIFT: SMU recently announced plans to construct a new Indoor Performance Center, an outdoor natural grass football practice field and a new soccer stadium, another sign of the University's commitment to competing at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics. These plans come on the heels of amazing success during SMU's Second Century Campaign, when SMU Athletics secured more than $191 million in gift commitments, and after 18 months of careful planning and design. The new soccer stadium, to be used by SMU's men's and women's soccer teams, will be located on Mockingbird Lane, the site of the current practice fields.
WESTCOTT FIELD: Since opening in 1994, SMU holds a .712 winning percentage (147-54-18) at Westcott Field. In 22 seasons at Westcott, the Mustangs have finished .500 or better in 20 seasons, with three perfect seasons.
AAC POLL: The SMU women's soccer team has been picked to finish eighth in the American Athletic Conference for the 2016 season. SMU received 20 votes and finished ahead of Houston in the poll. Defending champion Connecticut was the unanimous selection for first place, garnering 81 total points, and nine first-place votes. For the second season in a row, junior Claire Oates was named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team.
VANESSA VALADEZ: As a redshirt-freshman, started all 18 games and led SMU with eight goals (7th AAC), 20 points (9th AAC), 1.11 points per game (6th AAC), shots (42) and shots on goal (20). The 2015 AAC All-Rookie Team honoree was also tied for the team-lead in assists (4).
TAYLOR BARG: Since her arrival on the Hilltop, she has played and started all 58 games for the Mustangs. As a dynamic playmaker in the backfield, Barg was third on the team in minutes played (1,624), played 90 minutes or more in 15 games and helped seal two shutout victories a season ago. In the classroom, was named to the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-District Seven Women's Soccer Second Team.
CAREER GOALS/ASSISTS:
Player G A
Claire Oates 10 2
Vanessa Valadez 9 4
Lauren Guerra 7 2
Kelsey Gorney 7 1
Taylor Barg 4 10
Bari Kesner 2 2
Hannah Fleet 1 0
Lauren Harrington 1 2
Haley Thompson 1 1
Blair Thorpe 0 4
NETWORKING: Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Mustangs by following SMU women's soccer on Twitter at @SMUSoccerW, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SMUSoccerw, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/SMUSoccerW. Also follow head coach Chris Petrucelli on Twitter at @CPetrucelli. Additionally fans can get follow SMU Athletics on Facebook at /SMUMustangs, Twitter at @SMUMustangs or Instagram at SMU.Mustangs.
--SMUMustangs.com--
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/ Women's SoccerSunday, September 13
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