Sept. 21, 2017
No. 19 SMU (6-1-0) opens American Athletic Conference play at Tulsa (2-3-1) on Sunday at 4 p.m. on the American Digital Network with Lincoln Rose on the call. Live stats will be available on SMUMustangs.com.

The Mustangs enter league play on a three-game winning streak after registering three consecutive shutouts against Santa Clara (1-0 on Sept. 9), Loyola University Maryland (4-0 on Sept. 15) and Brown (1-0 on Sept. 17).

QUICK KICKS
- Head Coach Kevin Hudson has a 27-13-5 (.655) record on the Hilltop.
- SMU went 2-0 last week with a 4-0 win against Loyola (Md.) and a 1-0 victory against Brown.
- The Mustangs are ranked No. 19 in the latest United Soccer Coaches' Poll.
- Jordan Cano was named The American Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18).
- Garrett McLaughlin and Michael Nelson were selected to the conference weekly honor roll (Sept. 18).
- SMU leads the American Athletic Conference in points (6.46), goals (2.14) and assists per game (2.57).
- Mauro Cichero leads the conference in points (14) and assists (4).
- The Mustangs' 18 assists lead the conference, while Cichero leads the league with four.
- Cano and Jared Rice are tied for second on the team in assists with three each.
- Nelson leads the conference in shutouts (4) and has 21 in his career.
- Cichero and McLaughlin lead the league with five goals each and the duo is tied for 13th in the NCAA.
- SMU and Omaha are the only two teams in the country that have a pair of teammates who have tallied five goals each or more. Omaha's Elvir Ibisevic and Emmanuel Hamzat have six and five, respectively.
- Cichero has 20 career goals, including eight game winners.
- McLauglin has nine career goals in 23 games, including five in 2017, three of which were game-winners.
- Cano was named The American Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18).
- Ponder's game-winning goal against Santa Clara (Sept. 10) was his first career goal.
- Seven Mustangs have scored this year: Cichero (5), McLaughlin (5), Ponder (1), Christian Boorom (1), Colten Habecker (1), Talen Maples (1) and Garrett Welch (1).
- Cichero was joined by Cano, McLaughlin and 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 XI.
- McLaughlin was the 2016 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year.
- Cano and Cichero were named all-conference second team last year.

MUSTANGS RANKED NO. 19 IN LATEST UNITED SOCCER COACHES POLL (SEPT. 19, 2017)
The SMU men's soccer team is ranked No. 19 in the latest United Soccer Coaches' Poll, the organization announced Tuesday. SMU (6-1-0) enters the top-25 for the first time this season after receiving votes the previous two weeks. The Mustangs' rise in the latest poll comes after posting a 2-0 record last week with a 4-0 win against Loyola (Md.) and a 1-0 victory against Brown. The Mustangs are the only team from the American Athletic Conference that is currently ranked. Tulsa was ranked No. 20 last week. The last time SMU was ranked in the polls was on August 30, 2016. SMU leads The American in points (6.46), goals (2.14) and assists per game (2.57). In the NCAA, the Mustangs total points (48) and assists (16) rank ninth and seventh, respectively. SMU and Omaha are the only two teams in the country that have a pair of teammates who have tallied five goals each or more. Garrett McLaughlin and Mauro Cichero each have five, which has the duo tied for 13th in the country. Omaha's Elvir Ibisevic and Emmanuel Hamzat have six and five, respectively. Goalkeeper Michael Nelson leads the conference in shutouts (4) and has 21 in his career.


UNITED SOCCER COACHES NCAA DIVISION I MEN – NATIONAL – POLL 4

Rank	School	1st Votes	Total Points	Prev.	W-L-T
1	Notre Dame	13	585	2	5-0-0
2	Indiana	7	573	1	5-0-2
3	Maryland	4	560	3	6-0-1
4	Wake Forest	0	524	4	6-1-0
5	Stanford	0	502	5	5-1-0
6	Michigan State	0	483	6	7-0-0
7	North Carolina	0	439	8	6-1-0
8	Clemson	0	426	10	5-1-0
9	Virginia	0	388	12	5-0-1
10	Louisville	0	333	17	4-1-1
11	Syracuse	0	309	7	4-1-2
12	Western Michigan	0	275	24	7-0-1
13	Furman	0	265	15	6-0-0
14	New Hampshire	0	264	16	4-0-2
15	Kentucky	0	245	13	4-1-1
16	Georgetown	0	223	9	4-1-1
17	Pacific	0	212	14	7-1-0
18	UNCW	0	208	22	5-1-0
19	SMU	0	175	RV	6-1-0
20	Air Force	0	162	RV	5-1-0
21	Fairleigh Dickinson	0	101	21	5-0-1
22	Michigan	0	86	18	4-1-2
23	Omaha	0	78	10	7-1-0
24	Seattle	0	72	RV	5-1-0
25	Ohio State	0	64	RV	6-1-0

LAST TIME OUT – SMU SNAPS BROWN'S WIN STREAK WITH 1-0 VICTORY (Sept. 17, 2017)
The SMU men's soccer team defeated Brown, 1-0, at Westcott Field to give the Bears their first loss of the season. The Mustangs snapped the Bear's four-game winning streak and improved to 6-1-0 overall, while Brown fell to 4-1-0. After a scoreless first half, a power outage to one of the lights forced a delay at the beginning of the second half, which was the first of two during the period. However, the Mustangs were able to get on the board when Garrett McLaughlin scored the game's lone goal in the 61st minute, which was his fifth tally of the season. Jared Rice sent a long cross just inside the penalty box, where McLaughlin knocked in a header to give the Mustangs the lead. The 2016 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year has nine career goals in just 23 games.

ABOUT SMU (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 American, a league that sent two teams (Tulsa, USF) to the 2016 NCAA Tournament. SMU (6-1-0) is the only team in The American with six wins and is ranked No. 19 in the United Coaches' Poll. The Mustangs won their season opener against UC Davis (3-2), followed by two wins against Oakland (2-1) and Cornell (3-0) to claim the SMU Tournament title. On the first road trip of the season, the Mustangs went 1-1 in California with a 3-1 loss to then-No. 1 Stanford, before a 1-0 victory against Santa Clara. Last week, SMU posted a 2-0 record with a 4-0 win against Loyola (Md.) and a 1-0 victory against Brown. The Mustangs lead the American Athletic Conference in points (6.46), goals (2.14) and assists per game (2.57). SMU went 6-9-1 overall and 2-4-1 in conference play in 2016.


ABOUT TULSA (AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE)
Tulsa was picked to finish second in the preseason poll of The American. The Golden Hurricane enter conference play 2-3-1, however Tulsa's signature win of the season came on the road at then-No. 1 Stanford on Sept. 9. Tulsa connected on two penalty kicks by Rollie Rocha to defeat the two-time defending national champions. Six Tulsa players have registered a goal with Rocha leading the way with three, followed by Munashe Raranje with two. As a team, Tulsa has converted nine of their 89 shots on goal, averaging 1.50 goals per game. Tulsa has used two goalkeepers with Marcel Da Silva playing in four games and Cooper Clark seeing action in two matches. Da Silva has tallied 24 saves and a .800 save percentage in six games. Da Silva has allowed six goals, while Clark has allowed four.

SMU-TULSA SERIES HISTORY
SMU and Tulsa will meet for the 45th time, with the Mustangs holding a 30-10-4 lead in the series. SMU lost its last match to Tulsa, 3-0, last season (Sept. 24, 2016). However, the Mustangs did win their last game at Tulsa, 1-0, on Sept. 26, 2015.

LAST TIME AGAINST TULSA (L, 3-0 at Westcott Field on Sept. 24, 2016):
SMU fell to Tulsa, 3-0, at Westcott Field. The Mustangs dropped to 3-6-0 and 0-1-0 in conference play, while Tulsa improved to 4-2-2 and 1-0-0. Tulsa found the back of the net early as Ray Saari scored in the fourth minute of the match. Rollie Rocha and Kay Duit would follow in the 27th and the 38th minute, respectively. Garrett McLaughlin led all Mustangs in shots with three, one of which was on goal. Jordan Cano recorded two, with one on goal.

Tulsa 30-10-4
H: 18-5-2, A: 9-2-1, N: 3-3-1

1980	S6	A	W	9-0
1981	O2	H	W	4-0
1984	O19	H	W	3-0
1986	S13	H	W	5-1
1987	S29	H	W	3-0
1990	S14	H	W	2-0
1991	O29	H	L	1-0
	N16	H#	W	5-3 (21)
1992	O9	H	W	6-1
1993	S11	A	W	2-0
1994	S14	H	L	2-1
1995	S9	H	W	5-1 (14)
1996	O11	H	W	4-0
1997	O31	A	W	3-1
	N16	N@	W	4-0
1998	O11	H	TOT	1-1
	N13	N@	L	1-0
1999	O22	A	W	2-0
	N7	H	W	4-0
2000	O8	H	W	1-0
2001	O20	A	W	2-0
2002	O26	H	W	5-1
2003	O18	A	LOT	1-0 (15)
	N8	N%	W	1-0 (17)
2004	O15	H	W	4-0
	N14	N%	W	2-1
	N27	H#	L2OT	2-1
2005	O22	A	W	3-2
	N9	H**	T2OT	2-2
2006	O11	H	W	2-0
2007	S28	A	T2OT	2-2 (18)
2008	S27	H	L	4-1
2009	O21	A	W	3-2 (16)
2010	O20	H	W	3-2 (17)
2011	O5	A	W	2-1
2012	O3	H	W	1-0 (20)
	N11	N*	L	5-0
2014	S26	H	W	4-2
	O22	A	L	1-0 (24)
	N14	N!	L	2-0
2015	S26	A	W	1-0
2015	O21	H	W	3-2
2015	N13	N!	T2OT	2-2
2016	S24	H^	L	0-3

(-) Ranking
# NCAA Playoffs
@ WAC Championship
% MVC Tournament
* Conference USA Tournament
! American Athletic Conference Tournament
^ Tulsa advanced off of PK's, 4-3)
** Tulsa advanced off of PK's, 5-4

THREE MUSTANGS GARNER AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WEEKLY HONORS (Sept. 18, 2017)
Jordan Cano was named the American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, while Garrett McLaughlin and Michael Nelson were selected to the weekly honor roll. Cano picked up his second career weekly award after leading the Mustang backline to two shutouts last weekend, a 4-0 win against Loyola (Md.) and a 1-0 victory against Brown. He was credited with his third assist of the season when he threaded a pass between two Loyola (Md.) defenders to McLaughlin for the Mustangs' first goal against the Greyhounds. McLaughlin surpassed his goal total from a year ago after recording two goals last week, including two-game winning goals. The 2016 American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year has five goals on the season and nine career goals in just 23 games. McLaughlin has garnered conference weekly honor roll accolades for the second straight week, and was named The American Player of the Week on Sept. 4, 2017. Two-time American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year Michael Nelson continued his stellar season as he recorded two shutouts and made four saves against the Greyhounds and the Bears. The Katy, Texas, native has been named to the weekly honor roll five times in his career.

MCLAUGHLIN AND PONDER NAMED TO THE AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE HONOR ROLL (Sept. 11, 2017)
Garrett McLaughlin registered three points on a goal and an assist on the road in a 1-1 week for the Mustangs. He picked up his third goal of the season against then-No. 1 Stanford, which was the first goal the Cardinal had given up this season. McLaughlin was credited with an assist in the Mustangs' 1-0 victory against Santa Clara. Ponder was the recipient of McLauglin's assist as he scored the game-winning goal against the Broncos and led SMU backline to a 1-0 shutout win.

MCLAUGHLIN NAMED AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Sept. 4, 2017)
Garrett McLaughlin was named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week. McLaughlin netted two goals (4 points) on four shots to earn his first weekly player of the week honor and be named to the SMU Tournament All-Tournament team.

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.

HUDDY'S HOME
Head Coach Kevin Hudson has compiled a 27-13-5 (.655) record, including a 21-8-1 (.717) record at Westcott Field. During Hudson's nine years on the Hilltop (six as an assistant coach), 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 109-64-23 (.615) record during Hudson's tenure.

THERE'S (MAUR-O) WHERE THAT CAME FROM
Mauro Cichero leads the conference in points (14) and assists (four). Cichero and Garrett McLaughlin lead the league in goals with five each. He notched his first career hat trick in the season opener (Aug. 25) to earn The American Offensive Player of the Week (Aug. 28). 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 59 matches and has tallied 20 goals, including eight game winners, and 18 assists.

THE KEEPER
Nelson has amassed 21 career shutouts on the Hilltop, including four this year against Cornell, Santa Clara, Loyola (Md.) and Brown. He was named to the conference weekly honor roll on Sept. 18. A season after starting 15 matches for the Mustangs, 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 55 saves, three shutouts last season, while posting a 1.16 goals against average to go with a .764 save percentage.

G-MAC
The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native has five goals on the season and nine career goals in just 23 games. McLaughlin has garnered conference weekly honor roll accolades for the second straight week (Sept. 11 and Sept. 18), and was named The American Player of the Week on Sept. 4. 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. McLaughlin earned his second career conference weekly honor after netting two goals on four shots in wins against Oakland and Cornell. He was also named to the SMU Tournament All-Tournament team. McLaughlin surpassed his goal total from a year ago after recording two goals last week, including two-game winning goals.

THE JORDAN STOPPER
Jordan Cano picked up his second career weekly award (Sept. 18) after leading the Mustangs' backline to two shutouts last weekend, a 4-0 win against Loyola (Md.) and a 1-0 victory against Brown. He was credited with his third assist of the season when he threaded a pass between two Loyola (Md.) defenders to McLaughlin for the Mustangs' first goal against the Greyhounds. 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

2017 MEN'S SOCCER SEASON HONORS/AWARDS

JORDAN CANO
SMU Tournament All-Tournament Team
American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18, 2017)

MAURO CICHERO
SMU Tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP)
American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Aug. 28, 2017)

GARRETT MCLAUGHLIN
SMU Tournament All-Tournament Team
American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 4, 2017)
American Athletic Conference Honor Roll (Sept. 11, 2017)
American Athletic Conference Honor Roll (Sept. 18, 2017)

MICHAEL NELSON
SMU Tournament All-Tournament Team
American Athletic Conference Honor Roll (Sept. 18, 2017)

PHILIP PONDER
American Athletic Conference Honor Roll (Sept. 11, 2017)

CALEB SMITH
SMU Tournament All-Tournament Team

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.

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
The Mustangs return to Dallas and continue conference play against UCF Friday, Sept. 29. The match is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on PonyUp TV and live stats will be 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.