Sept. 29, 2016
The SMU men's soccer team closes out its non-conference schedule as they host Oral Roberts Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. Fans can find tickets by calling 214-SMU-GAME (214-768-4263) or visiting SMUMustangs.com/tickets. All home matches will air on PonyUp TV. Live stats are also available on SMUMustangs.com.
Series History…
Tuesday night's matchup marks the eighth meeting between the two clubs, dating back to 1993. The Mustangs are 7-0-0 overall against the Golden Eagles, with all seven wins coming in Dallas. SMU defeated Oral Roberts in a 2-1 decision last season at Westcott Field.
The Last Time They Met…
Goals from Brenden Lee and Emil Cuello propelled SMU to the 2-1 victory over Oral Roberts last season. Lee opened scoring in the seventh minute to put the Mustangs on the board early. Following a 40-yard long ball pass from Jordan Cano, Lee took one touch and drilled the ball into the lower right corner of the goal from 18 yards out.
Cuello scored what proved to be the match winner in the 38th minute after he collected a pass from Jacob Speed and fired the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal. Oral Roberts scored the equalizer in the 24th minute.
The Mustangs outshot the Golden Eagles, 18-6, with seven chances on goal. Cuello registered a team-leading four shots, while Bryce Clark and Mauro Cichero added three shots of their own. Nelson made three saves in the net for the Ponies.
About SMU…
The Mustangs enter Tuesday's match 3-6-0 overall, with a 3-4-0 record at home. Mauro Cichero and Brenden Lee lead the Mustangs with three goals apiece. Cichero also leads the Mustangs in shots (20), shots on goal (8) and points (7). Eddie Munjoma leads the Mustangs in assists with three. Lee and Garrett McLaughlin are tied with a 53.8 shot on goal percentage.
Michael Nelson has tallied 32 saves with a 72.7 save percentage, while Nick Ruiz recorded five saves in 90 minutes of play during the Tulsa game. The Mustangs have netted 11 goals on 98 attempts and average 10.9 shots per game.
American Standings…
The Mustangs rank seventh in the AAC in points with 32, averaging 3.56 per game. SMU is first in saves (42) averaging 4.67 per game, fifth in shots (98) averaging 10.89 per game, tied for sixth in assists (10) averaging 1.11 per match, and also tied for sixth in goals (11) averaging 1.22 per match.
Individually, Mauro Cichero is tied for sixth in the American with seven total points, averaging 0.88 per game. Cichero is sixth in shots with 20, averaging 2.50 attempts per match. Cichero and Brenden Lee are tied for fifth in goals with three apiece. Eddie Munjoma is tied for fourth in assists with three, averaging 0.50 per game.
Michael Nelson is fourth in the AAC in save percentage with 72.7 percent and saves with 32. He is third in saves per game averaging 4.00. Nick Ruiz is tied for eighth in saves with 10.
About the Golden Eagles…
Oral Roberts comes to Dallas with a 4-3-1 overall record, and a 1-2-1 record on the road. The Golden Eagles are led by top scorer Santiago Riveros. The junior midfielder has recorded 13 points for ORU, with four goals and five assists. Riveros boasts a 68.4 shot on goal percentage. Junior forward Matthew Rogers has netted two goals on only four shots, with three on goal.
As a team, Oral Roberts has converted 13 of its 65 shots (20 percent), averaging 1.63 goals per game. Freshman goalkeeper Parker Johnson has recorded 24 saves and a 70.6 save percentage in eight games. He has allowed 10 goals.
