SMU (0-0-0, 0-0-0 The American) vs. UC Davis (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big West)
Date & Kickoff Time	Friday, August 25 at 7 p.m.
Location	Westcott Field - Dallas, Texas
Video	PonyUp TV Play-by-play: Steve Lansdale // Producer: Spencer Jones
Live Stats	Live Stats
Tickets	Free Admission
Game Info	SMU Game Notes UC Davis Game Notes
Facebook	SMU MSOC  | SMU Mustangs
Twitter	@SMUSoccerM | @SMUMustangs

August 22, 2017

DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU men's soccer team open the 2017 season Friday at home against UC Davis at 7 p.m. All home games will be free admission and can be followed via PonyUp TV or live stats on SMUMustangs.com.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
SMU is led by head coach Kevin Hudson, who has 21 letterwinners returning, including eight starters from last season. The Mustangs were selected to finish fifth in the preseason poll of the eight-team American Athletic Conference, a league that sent two teams (Tulsa, USF) to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. SMU will rely on an experienced roster led by Jordan Cano, Mauro Cichero, Garrett McLaughlin and Michael Nelson, who were all named to the preseason All-American Athletic Conference team.

ABOUT THE AGGIES
In the Big West Conference preseason coaches' poll, UC Davis was picked to finish second in the North Division and return nine starters and 19 letterwinners from last year's 8-9-3 club. UC Davis welcome back their top two goal scorers in all-conference second team picks Noah Wilson and Kyle Higgins. Higgins and Wilson join Evan Barrett on the preseason all-conference team.

QUICK KICKS
- Head Coach Kevin Hudson has a 21-12-5 record on the Hilltop.
- SMU was picked to finish fifth in The American.
- Garrett McLaughlin was the 2016 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
- Jordan Cano and Mauro Cichero were named all-conference second team last year.
- Cano, Cichero, McLaughlin and Michael Nelson were named to the preseason all-conference team.
- Nelson was named The American preseason Goalkeeper of the Year.
- Cichero was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and Top Drawer Soccer Best IX.

SERIES HISTORY
SMU and UC Davis will meet for just the second time in the series history. The Mustangs defeated the Aggies, 1-0, in Dallas at the SMU Classic on Sept. 16, 2012.

LAST TIME AGAINST UC DAVIS (W, 1-0 at Westcott Field on Sept. 16, 2012): 
DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU men's soccer team defeated UC Davis, 1-0, on Sunday afternoon at Westcott Field to win the SMU Classic Presented by Jason's Deli. Sophomore Aaron Simmons scored the game-winner for the Mustangs. With the win, SMU improves to 4-2-1 on the season.

UC Davis 1-0
H: 1-0, A: 0-0-0, N: 0-0
2012       S16         H$           W            1-0
$ SMU Classic (Dallas, Texas)

HUDDY'S HOME
Going into his third year at the helm, head coach Kevin Hudson has compiled a 21-12-5 (.618) record, including a 16-8-1 (.666) record at Westcott Field. During Hudson's nine years on the Hilltop, the Mustangs have reached the NCAA Tournament on five occasions, advancing as far as the NCAA Quarterfinals in 2010. In 2010 and 2012, SMU earned the Conference USA regular season title, and in 2011 the squad won the tournament championship. The Mustangs have amassed a 103-63-23 (.606) record during Hudson's tenure.

THERE'S (MAR-O) WHERE THAT CAME FROM
Senior forward Mauro Cichero has garnered several preseason accolades heading into the 2017 season. Cichero has been named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, the TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI second team and the preseason all-conference team. The Norman, Oklahoma native earned second team all-conference honors last season after playing in 15 games for the Mustangs, scoring three goals on 44 shots with one assist. As a sophomore, Cichero helped lead the Mustangs to a 15-3-4 record, a conference regular season title and to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015. The senior forward was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous First-Team All-Conference selection. Cichero finished his second season on the Hilltop ranked first on the team in goals (10), points (29) and shots (71), and second in assists (9). In three seasons on the Hilltop, Cichero has started 52 matches and has tallied 15 goals, including six game winners, and 14 assists.

THE KEEPER
A season after starting 15 matches for the Mustangs, senior Michael Nelson returns as the starting keeper. For the third consecutive season, Nelson has been named the 2017 American Athletic Conference Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. The two-time conference Goalkeeper of the Year (2014, 2015) recorded a team-high 55 saves, three shutouts last season, while posting a 1.16 goals against average to go with a .764 save percentage. Nelson has amassed 17 shutouts in three seasons on the Hilltop.

G-MONEY
Forward Garrett McLaughlin returns for his sophomore campaign on the Hilltop after being named the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year last season. McLaughlin was a unanimous All-Rookie Team selection and played in all 16 games and started seven for the Mustangs. The Oklahoma City, Okla., native, led the team with 11 points off a team-high four goals, including a goal against then-No. 16 Akron in an eventual, 4-3, Mustang victory in overtime and the game-tying goal against Connecticut. McLaughlin was also credited with three assists and finished second on the team in shots on goal with 12. He was also named to the conference Weekly Honor Roll for the week of Oct. 17.

THE JORDAN STOPPER
Senior Jordan Cano is the most experienced defender on the Mustangs roster and has been named to the all-conference second team the past two years. Last season, he scored in back-to-back matches against Memphis and Cincinnati, earning four total points. Cano has been consistent and reliable in the backline for the Mustangs playing in 37 games with 36 starts the last two years. The Frisco, Texas, native was also named to the All-Rookie team in 2014.  

EDDIE-NATIONAL
Defender Eddie Munjoma was named to the U.S. Under-19 Men's National Team domestic training camp roster. Munjoma was one of 22 players called to attend the eight-day camp from February 3-10 in Sunrise, Fla. As a freshman last season, Munjoma started 12 of 13 games for SMU and played 1,149 minutes on the pitch. He tallied four points on four assists, including three assists against then-No.16 Akron helping the Mustangs beat the Zips 4-3 in overtime.

2017 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE PRESEASON HONORS
Four Mustangs were named to the preseason All-American Athletic Conference team, the league announced. SMU was picked to finish fifth in the conference, receiving one of the eight first place votes by the league's coaches. The Mustangs return eight starters from last season, including Jordan Cano, Mauro Cichero, Garrett McLaughlin and Michael Nelson, who all made the preseason all-conference team.

2016 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONORS
Forward Garrett McLaughlin was named American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, while defender Jordan Cano and midfielder Mauro Cichero were named to The American All-Conference second team.

Rookie of the Year: Garrett McLaughlin
Second Team: Jordan Cano and Mauro Cichero

MEN'S SOCCER HIGH SCHOOL COACHES DAY
SMU men's soccer head coach Kevin Hudson and staff will hosted a coaches day Saturday, Aug. 19 at Westcott Field, which was open to high school coaches. The event provided insight to the day-to-day operations of the program, while also giving coaches an inside look at the preparation that takes place before matches.

WESTCOTT FIELD
One of the most popular soccer venues in the country, Westcott Field, is the home turf for both the SMU men's and women's soccer teams. Both teams began competing at Westcott Field in 1994. The grass facility was used as a training site for the Dallas venue of World Cup USA '94. Teams from Germany, Bulgaria, Sweden and Holland practiced there before their games at the Cotton Bowl. Within more recent years, Westcott Field has climbed the charts as one of the nation's exciting soccer stadiums. In 2001, Westcott Field ranked among the highest attended facilities during the SMU men's team No. 1 reign for 14 weeks, as well as the women's team march to the Western Athletic Conference Title. In 2004, the Mustangs added a press box to the stadium featuring attractive lettering and the Mustangs' past champions. Before the 2006 season, SMU installed a new turf and a state-of-the art drainage system.

FREE SOCCER
Adding to its menu of free, family-friendly events, SMU Athletics will now offer free admission to all Mustang soccer matches beginning this fall. The soccer programs are among 11 SMU sports that offer free admission. Others include volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's golf, rowing and equestrian. SMU will host a combined 22 matches at Westcott Field, 12 women's games and 10 men's games. The women's team will open the 2017 campaign at Westcott Field against Arkansas on Friday, Aug. 18, before hosting Oklahoma on Aug. 20. The men's team will play three straight home contests to open the season, starting with UC Davis on Friday, Aug. 25.

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.

UP NEXT
SMU will host the SMU Tournament, which runs Sept. 1 and Sept. 3. The Mustangs open the tournament with Oakland on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m., before taking on Cornell Sunday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. Both matches will be aired on PonyUp TV, with Steve Lansdale making the call. Live stats are also provided on SMUMustangs.com.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Mustangs by following the SMU Men's Soccer Team on Twitter at @SMUSoccerM, on Facebook at Facebook.com/SMUSoccerM, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/SMU_MSOC. Follow SMU Athletics on Twitter at @SMUMustangs or Instagram at SMU.Mustangs.