SMU (1-0-0, 0-0-0 The American) vs. Oakland (1-1-0, 0-0-0 Horizon)
Date & Kickoff Time	Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 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 | Oakland Game Notes | Tournament Central
Facebook	SMU MSOC  | SMU Mustangs
Twitter	@SMUSoccerM | @SMUMustangs

SMU (2-0-0, 0-0-0 The American) vs. Cornell (0-0-1, 0-0-0 Ivy League)
Date & Kickoff Time	Sunday, Sept. 3 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 | Cornell Game Notes | Tournament Central
Facebook	SMU MSOC  | SMU Mustangs
Twitter	@SMUSoccerM | @SMUMustangs

August 30, 2017

DALLAS (SMU) – Coming off a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against UC Davis last week, the Mustangs are set to host the SMU Tournament Friday and Sunday. SMU welcomes Cornell, Oakland and Incarnate Word to the Hilltop.

The Mustangs will play their first match of the tournament against Oakland Friday at 7:30 p.m., following the 5 p.m. match between Cornell and UIW. Sunday's first match is Oakland against UIW at 12 p.m., followed by SMU vs. Cornell at 7 p.m.

All home games are free admission and can be followed via PonyUp TV or live stats on SMUMustangs.com.

QUICK KICKS
- Head Coach Kevin Hudson has a 22-12-5 record on the Hilltop.
- SMU won its season opener 3-2 against UC Davis.
- Mauro Cichero recorded his first career hat trick in the 3-2 victory against UC Davis.
- Cichero leads the NCAA in goals (3.00) and points per game (6.00).
- Cichero has 18 career goals, including seven game winners.
- Cichero was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week (8/27)
- The Mustangs will host a tournament for the first time since 2014.
- SMU improved to 2-0 all-time against UC Davis.
- Cichero was joined by Jordan Cano, Garrett McLaughlin and Michael Nelson on the preseason all-conference team.
- Cichero earned preseason Top Drawer Soccer Best XI honor.
- 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.
- McLaughlin was the 2016 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
- Cano and Cichero were named all-conference second team last year.

FOR THE RECORD
SMU is 46-13-4 (.762) in tournament action on the Hilltop since the first tournament held during the 1987 season.

LAST TIME OUT – CICHERO HAT TRICK GIVES SMU 3-2 WIN IN OPENER (Aug. 25, 2017)
Mauro Cichero recorded his first career hat trick to lead SMU to a thrilling 3-2 victory in the season opener against UC Davis. Cichero shouldered the load for the Mustangs as he recorded his third goal of the night with a header in the 89th minute giving SMU the lead after trailing late in the second period. Caleb Smith was credited with the assist helping SMU improve to 2-0 all-time against the Aggies. UC Davis struck early and often in the second period tallying two goals in the 60th and 63rd minutes, which gave the Aggies a 2-1 lead. Cichero came on strong in the last five minutes as he picked up his second goal of the night in the 86th minute to tie the match at 2-2. After a foul on UC Davis, SMU was rewarded with a penalty kick that Cichero drilled past the keeper. The Norman, Oklahoma, native's first goal of the night came on a free kick 25 yards out in the 37th minute to get the Mustangs on the board.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS (THE AMERICAN)
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 (1-0-0) won its season opener last week against UC Davis (1-1-0) with Mauro Cichero recording his first career hat trick in the Mustangs 3-2 victory against the Aggies. SMU went 6-9-1 overall and 2-4-1 in conference play in 2016.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES (HORIZON LEAGUE)
Oakland returns seven starters from 2016, including Horizon League All-Freshman team forward Nebojsa Popovic, who netted four goals and dished out three assists. Also returning for the Golden Grizzlies is midfielder Austin Ricci, who recorded five goals and five assists last season. Oakland (1-1-0) started the season at the VCU/Old Dominion Tournament in Richmond, Virginia. The Golden Grizzlies defeated VCU, 3-2, before falling 3-0 to ODU. Popovic and Ricci were named to the All-Tournament team after combining for three shots on goal and six total shots. Oakland has appeared in two out of the last three NCAA Championships and was picked to win the Horizon League for the third consecutive season in the league's preseason coaches' poll.  The Golden Grizzlies went 7-10-1 overall and 5-4-0 in conference play last season.

SMU-OAKLAND SERIES HISTORY
SMU and Oakland will meet for the fourth time, with the Mustangs holding a 3-0 lead. All three victories have come at home for the Mustangs. The Mustangs defeated Oakland in 2008, 2011 and 2012.

Oakland 3-0
H: 2-0, A: 0-0-0, N: 1-0
2008       S13         H$           W            3-1
2011       S9           N@        W            4-1
2012       S14         H$           W            1-0
$ SMU Invitational (Dallas, Texas)
@ Tulsa Classic (Tulsa, Okla.)
* SMU Tournament (Dallas, Texas)

ABOUT THE BIG RED (IVY LEAGUE)
Cornell opens the season in Dallas and will face UIW Friday, before taking on the Mustangs Sunday. The Big Red return sophomore George Pedlow and Ryan Watters, who both garnered All-IVY accolades last season. Cornell finished 1-14-2 overall and 0-7-0 in league play last year.

SMU-CORNELL SERIES HISTORY
SMU and Cornell will meet for the first time Sunday.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (WAC)
After a four-year transition period, UIW is now eligible for WAC and NCAA postseason tournaments. Last season, the Cardinals went 4-9-4 overall and 2-5-3 in conference play. The Cardinals return goalkeeper Jorge Guzman, but will look to fill the void of leading scorer, Ben Conway, who graduated. UIW (1-1-0) dropped its season opener at Oral Roberts, 1-0, but rebounded with a 2-1 victory at Central Arkansas. Marjan Gamsjaeger leads the WAC in shots (9) and shots per game (4.50) shots per game. Last season, UIW went 4-9-4 overall and 2-5-3 in conference play.

TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The tournament champion will be determined by the following system:

1. Win/Loss Record (Win = 3 pts; Tie = 1 pt; Loss = 0 pts)
2. Goal Differential
3. Goals For
4. Goals Against

Each game will be 90 minutes and overtime will follow as in the NCAA rules.  If the game remains tied after both overtime periods, the game is concluded.

HUDDY'S HOME
Going into his third year at the helm, head coach Kevin Hudson has compiled a 22-12-5 (.628) record, including a 17-8-1 (.673) 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. In his first year as head coach, Hudson's team claimed the 2015 American Athletic Conference regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16. Hudson and his coaching staff were named the 2015 AAC Coaching Staff of the Year. The Mustangs have amassed a 104-63-23 (.607) record during Hudson's tenure.

THERE'S (MAUR-O) WHERE THAT CAME FROM
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). On the Hilltop, Cichero has started 53 matches and has tallied 18 goals, including seven game winners, and 14 assists.

CICHERO NAMED AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Aug. 28, 2017)
Mauro Cichero was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week. The senior forward recorded his first career hat trick in a 3-2 victory against UC Davis in the season opener on Friday. The MAC Hermann Trophy candidate scored two goals late to rally the Mustangs and now has 18 career goals, including seven game winners. He leads the conference in points (six) and goals (three). Cichero won the league's first weekly honor, giving him four for his career. In 2015, he was named player of the week three times helping lead SMU to conference regular season title and was also named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.

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-MAC
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 played in all 16 games and started seven for the Mustangs. The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 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, Florida. 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

2017 MEN'S SOCCER WATCH LISTS/PRESEASON HONORS

JORDAN CANO
All-American Athletic Conference

MAURO CICHERO
MAC Hermann Trophy
Top Drawer Soccer Best XI
All-American Athletic Conference

GARRETT MCLAUGHLIN
All-American Athletic Conference

MICHAEL NELSON
American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year
All-American Athletic Conference

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES
The Mustangs return 21 letterwinners, including eight starters from last season, while adding 11 newcomers to the roster. The 2017 recruiting class consists of Joshua Berney, Ryan Capo, Matteo DeFina, Nicky Hernandez, Noah Hilt, Talen Maples, Dakota Okwuone, Luke Thompson, Austin Vincent, Patrick Wintergalen and graduate transfer Tyler Long.

MEN'S SOCCER HIGH SCHOOL COACHES DAY (Aug. 19, 2017)
SMU men's soccer head coach Kevin Hudson and staff 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 gets its first road test as the Mustangs travel to the west coast for a matchup with two-time defending national champion Stanford, Thursday, Sept. 7. The Cardinal currently ranks No. 1 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The Mustangs will then head to Santa Clara, California, to face the Broncos Saturday, Sept. 9.

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.