
SMU Hosts New Mexico State Friday To Finish Non-Conference Slate
Sep 28 | Women's Soccer
Kickoff Slated for 5 p.m.
SMU (4-3-3, 0-1-1 American)Â Â vs. New Mexico State (5-5-1, 0-0-0 WAC)
SMU Game Notes | New Mexico State Notes | American Notes
Video (PonyUp TV) | Live Stats
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On the heels of a two-match road swing, the SMU women's soccer team opens a three-match homestand Friday starting with New Mexico State. The Friday night tilt closes is the first all-time meeting between the two sides and closes out non-conference play for both squads. The match is slated for 5 p.m., and is the first half of an SMU soccer doubleheader (SMU men's soccer vs. UCF, 7:30 p.m.). All home games are free of charge, and or can be followed on SMUMustangs.com via PonyUp TV or live stats.
Following Friday's installment, Chris Petrucelli's club will have nearly a week off before returning to American Athletic Conference action. SMU hosts the Florida schools, USF and UCF, starting with USF on Thursday, Oct. 5, before welcoming UCF Sunday, Oct. 8. All home games are free of charge, and or can be followed on SMUMustangs.com via PonyUp TV or live stats.
QUICK HITS:
> 2016 final marks: 13-7-2, 6-2-1 AAC
> 2016 American Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-up; NCAA First Round
> 2016 was SMU's first NCAA tournament since 2006
> SMU finished the 2016 season in the top 25 in six NCAA statistical categories
> SMU notched its 400th program history with a 1-0 win against TCU
> Vanessa Valadez leads the Mustangs with five goals, three game-winners
> Hannah Allred scored her first two career goals at Memphis
> Allie Thornton leads the team with 31 shots and 15 shots on goal
> Haley Thompson, Isabelle Nashmi lead the team with four assists
> Catie Brown named AAC Goalkeeper of the Week (Aug. 28)
> Isabelle Nashmi recorded her first career goal and first career assist at WashingtonÂ
> Win vs No. 17 Arkansas marks the second consecutive year beating a top-25 opponent (Sept. 29, 2016, 1-0 at No. 15 USF; Sept. 18, 2017, 1-0 vs. No. 17 Arkansas)
> First time beating a top-25 team on opening day in program history
> First home win vs. a top-25 team since Sept. 23, 2011 (1-0 vs. No. 19 UCF)
> The Mustangs were picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference
> Thornton, Oates (10 g each) and Valadez (9 g) were named Preseason All-AAC
ABOUT SMU: Following a 3-2 overtime loss at Tulsa, the Mustangs enter Thursday's match with a 4-3-3 record, a 0-1-1 mark in league play. While in Tulsa, Allie Thornton and Hannah Fleet each scored. Hannah Allred scored a pair of goals, the first and second of her career, in the tie at Memphis. Vanessa Valadez leads the Mustangs with five goals, following a goal against Baylor. Claire Oates has tallied three goals on the 2017 campaign. Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Petrucelli, SMU returns 17 student-athletes, including nine starters from its 2016 squad. SMU finished 2016 with a 13-7-2 record (6-2-1 AAC), en route to an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006. The Mustangs finished third in the regular season, before finishing runner-up in the AAC Conference Tournament.
LAST TIME OUT (L, 3-2 at Tulsa): TULSA, Okla. (SMU) – Allie Thornton and Hannah Fleet each scored in the second half, but the effort fell short as the SMU women's soccer team lost 3-2 in overtime at Tulsa. With the loss, SMU fell to 4-3-3 (0-1-1 American), while Tulsa improved to 3-7-2 (1-1-0 American). Following 45 minutes of scoreless play, Thornton gave SMU a 1-0 advantage in the 50th minute by burying a shot in the nearside, upper-90. Following a throw-in, Jessica Cooley touched a pass to Thornton, who was waiting at the far, top corner of the 18-yard box. With time, the sophomore beat a pair of Tulsa defenders and skied a chip shot over the head of Courtney McKeon. It was Thornton's second goal of the season and 12th of her career. Fleet would give SMU a quick 2-0 lead with another SMU goal less than two minutes later. Blair Thorpe started the opportunity by serving a ball to Lauren Harrington down the right side. From just outside of the 18-yard box, Harrington sent a cross into the 6-yard box, where Fleet passed a shot off a Tulsa defender and into the net. The strike was Fleet's first goal of the year and sixth of her career. Tulsa's Rachel Thun-Blankenship would find the net in the 71st minute to cut the lead in half, before an own goal by SMU in the 81st minute would give the Golden Hurricane the equalizer. In the opening moments of overtime (91'), Thun-Blankenship managed to beat the SMU defense and score the game-winner. SMU outshot Tulsa, 20-16, with three more shots on frame, 14-11.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE: The Aggies enter Friday's match with a 5-5-1 record after a 3-1 loss against Houston. Tulsa has scored 20 goals in 11 matches, an average of 1.82 per match. Audriana Chavez leads the Aggie offensive attack with a team-high five goals. Three members of the squad have tallied three goals apiece, includng Aileen Galicia, who leads the team in shots (30) and shots on goal (13).
ALL-TIME SERIES: This is the first meeing in program history.
LAST TIME AGAINST NEW MEXICO STATE – This is the first meeing in program history.
UP NEXT: SMU will have nearly a week off before returning to American Athletic Conferene play. The Mustangs open with a match against USF on Thursday, Oct. 5, before taking on UCF on Sunday, Oct. 8.Â
COACHING CORNER: Two-time National Coach of the Year and 1995 NCAA Championship Coach Chris Petrucelli is in his sixth season (2017) as SMU Head Women's Soccer Coach. A veteran of 20-plus years as a head coach, Petrucelli was named the NSCAA National Coach of the Year in both 1994 and 1995 and was lauded as the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2006. In his 28th season as a head coach, Petrucelli has compiled a 387-161-49 (.701) record.
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WINNER, WINNER!: Redshirt Junior Vanessa Valadez has netted three game-winning goals in 2017, ranking her 12th in the NCAA and 1st in the American Athletic Conference. The forward is one goal shy of matching the National leaders.
KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOUT YA: Senior midfielder Claire Oates has three header goals in 2017.
1 - 97' vs. No. 17 Arkansas (W, 1-0 OT)
2 - 79' at Gonzaga (D, 1-1)
3 - 88' at Memphis (D, 3-3)
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THOR(NTON)'S HAMMER: Through 11 games in 2017, sophomore Allie Thornton leads SMU with 35 shots and 15 shots on goal. The striker has two goals on the year, recording one at Tulsa and one against Sam Houston State. Against No. 16 Oklahoma, she registered eight shots, equaling Oklahoma's team shots total, with three on frame. In 2016, she finished the season tied with a team-high 10 goals and was second on the team with 23 points. Thornton was the first player since Olivia O'Rear (13) in 2006 to score at least 10 goals in a single-season, and the first since Kimber Bailey (2004, 11) to score 10 or more goals in her freshman year. The 10 goals ranks tied for eight on the SMU All-time goals by a freshman list.
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SHARING THE WEALTH: SMU tallied 45 assist in 2016, eclipsing the 2015 total of 21. Jessica Cooley, Haley Thompson and Vanessa Valadez each tallied a team-high eight assists. SMU finished 17th nationally in assists and 24th in assists per game (2.05).
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PUT IT ON THE BOARD: The SMU women's soccer team is 3-2-0 when scoring first. In 2016, the Mustangs were 9-0-0 when scoring first.
MILESTONE 400!: Redshirt junior Vanessa Valadez netted the eventual game-winner in the 27th minute against TCU to propel SMU to a 1-0 win for the 400th program victory. Since the beginning of the program in 1986, the program record is 400-205-47 (.650). The Mustangs have been coached by six different coaches over that span.
2017 AAC HONORS:Â
Catie Brown – Goalkeeper of the Week (Aug. 28)
Isabelle Nashmi – Weekly Honor Roll (Aug. 28)
Vanessa Valadez – Weekly Honor Roll (Sept. 5)
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2017 AAC PRESEASON HONORS: The Mustangs were picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference, receiving three of 10 first place votes by the league's coaches. SMU returns nine of 11 starters from 2016, including three members of the preseason all-conference team: Claire Oates, Vanessa Valadez and Allie Thornton. The trio finished top three in scoring in 2016, with Oates and Thornton leading the way with 10 goals apiece, while Valadez netted nine. Thornton and Valadez were named to the 2016 AAC all-conference first team, while Oates garnered second team honors. Thornton was also named to The American all-rookie team.
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2016 AAC HONORS: SMU head coach Chris Petrucelli was name the American Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year, and five student-athletes were named to AAC All-Conference teams. Following the AAC Championship, four members were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team
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First Team: Allie Thornton & Vanessa Valadez
Second Team: Taylor Barg & Claire Oates
Rookie Team: Allie Thornton & Jessica Cooley
All-Tournament: Catie Brown, Claire Oates, Allie Thornton, Vanessa Valadez
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WESTCOTT FIELD: SMU clinched a winning season at Westcott Field in 2016 for the second consecutive season. Since opening in 1994, SMU holds a .713 winning percentage (157-57-20) at Westcott Field. In 23 seasons at Westcott, the Mustangs have finished .500 or better in 21 seasons, with three perfect seasons.
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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.Â
NCAA RECOGNITION AWARD: SMU women's soccer was one of two SMU athletic programs to earn Public Recognition Awards for their latest multi-year NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rates (APR). This is the second time the women's soccer team has achieved the honor (2013-14, 2015-16). The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams and provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation, and provides a measure of each team's academic performance
SMU Game Notes | New Mexico State Notes | American Notes
Video (PonyUp TV) | Live Stats
Facebook | Twitter
On the heels of a two-match road swing, the SMU women's soccer team opens a three-match homestand Friday starting with New Mexico State. The Friday night tilt closes is the first all-time meeting between the two sides and closes out non-conference play for both squads. The match is slated for 5 p.m., and is the first half of an SMU soccer doubleheader (SMU men's soccer vs. UCF, 7:30 p.m.). All home games are free of charge, and or can be followed on SMUMustangs.com via PonyUp TV or live stats.
Following Friday's installment, Chris Petrucelli's club will have nearly a week off before returning to American Athletic Conference action. SMU hosts the Florida schools, USF and UCF, starting with USF on Thursday, Oct. 5, before welcoming UCF Sunday, Oct. 8. All home games are free of charge, and or can be followed on SMUMustangs.com via PonyUp TV or live stats.
QUICK HITS:
> 2016 final marks: 13-7-2, 6-2-1 AAC
> 2016 American Athletic Conference Tournament Runner-up; NCAA First Round
> 2016 was SMU's first NCAA tournament since 2006
> SMU finished the 2016 season in the top 25 in six NCAA statistical categories
> SMU notched its 400th program history with a 1-0 win against TCU
> Vanessa Valadez leads the Mustangs with five goals, three game-winners
> Hannah Allred scored her first two career goals at Memphis
> Allie Thornton leads the team with 31 shots and 15 shots on goal
> Haley Thompson, Isabelle Nashmi lead the team with four assists
> Catie Brown named AAC Goalkeeper of the Week (Aug. 28)
> Isabelle Nashmi recorded her first career goal and first career assist at WashingtonÂ
> Win vs No. 17 Arkansas marks the second consecutive year beating a top-25 opponent (Sept. 29, 2016, 1-0 at No. 15 USF; Sept. 18, 2017, 1-0 vs. No. 17 Arkansas)
> First time beating a top-25 team on opening day in program history
> First home win vs. a top-25 team since Sept. 23, 2011 (1-0 vs. No. 19 UCF)
> The Mustangs were picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference
> Thornton, Oates (10 g each) and Valadez (9 g) were named Preseason All-AAC
ABOUT SMU: Following a 3-2 overtime loss at Tulsa, the Mustangs enter Thursday's match with a 4-3-3 record, a 0-1-1 mark in league play. While in Tulsa, Allie Thornton and Hannah Fleet each scored. Hannah Allred scored a pair of goals, the first and second of her career, in the tie at Memphis. Vanessa Valadez leads the Mustangs with five goals, following a goal against Baylor. Claire Oates has tallied three goals on the 2017 campaign. Under the direction of sixth-year head coach Chris Petrucelli, SMU returns 17 student-athletes, including nine starters from its 2016 squad. SMU finished 2016 with a 13-7-2 record (6-2-1 AAC), en route to an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006. The Mustangs finished third in the regular season, before finishing runner-up in the AAC Conference Tournament.
LAST TIME OUT (L, 3-2 at Tulsa): TULSA, Okla. (SMU) – Allie Thornton and Hannah Fleet each scored in the second half, but the effort fell short as the SMU women's soccer team lost 3-2 in overtime at Tulsa. With the loss, SMU fell to 4-3-3 (0-1-1 American), while Tulsa improved to 3-7-2 (1-1-0 American). Following 45 minutes of scoreless play, Thornton gave SMU a 1-0 advantage in the 50th minute by burying a shot in the nearside, upper-90. Following a throw-in, Jessica Cooley touched a pass to Thornton, who was waiting at the far, top corner of the 18-yard box. With time, the sophomore beat a pair of Tulsa defenders and skied a chip shot over the head of Courtney McKeon. It was Thornton's second goal of the season and 12th of her career. Fleet would give SMU a quick 2-0 lead with another SMU goal less than two minutes later. Blair Thorpe started the opportunity by serving a ball to Lauren Harrington down the right side. From just outside of the 18-yard box, Harrington sent a cross into the 6-yard box, where Fleet passed a shot off a Tulsa defender and into the net. The strike was Fleet's first goal of the year and sixth of her career. Tulsa's Rachel Thun-Blankenship would find the net in the 71st minute to cut the lead in half, before an own goal by SMU in the 81st minute would give the Golden Hurricane the equalizer. In the opening moments of overtime (91'), Thun-Blankenship managed to beat the SMU defense and score the game-winner. SMU outshot Tulsa, 20-16, with three more shots on frame, 14-11.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE: The Aggies enter Friday's match with a 5-5-1 record after a 3-1 loss against Houston. Tulsa has scored 20 goals in 11 matches, an average of 1.82 per match. Audriana Chavez leads the Aggie offensive attack with a team-high five goals. Three members of the squad have tallied three goals apiece, includng Aileen Galicia, who leads the team in shots (30) and shots on goal (13).
ALL-TIME SERIES: This is the first meeing in program history.
LAST TIME AGAINST NEW MEXICO STATE – This is the first meeing in program history.
UP NEXT: SMU will have nearly a week off before returning to American Athletic Conferene play. The Mustangs open with a match against USF on Thursday, Oct. 5, before taking on UCF on Sunday, Oct. 8.Â
COACHING CORNER: Two-time National Coach of the Year and 1995 NCAA Championship Coach Chris Petrucelli is in his sixth season (2017) as SMU Head Women's Soccer Coach. A veteran of 20-plus years as a head coach, Petrucelli was named the NSCAA National Coach of the Year in both 1994 and 1995 and was lauded as the NSCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in both 2002 and 2006. In his 28th season as a head coach, Petrucelli has compiled a 387-161-49 (.701) record.
Â
WINNER, WINNER!: Redshirt Junior Vanessa Valadez has netted three game-winning goals in 2017, ranking her 12th in the NCAA and 1st in the American Athletic Conference. The forward is one goal shy of matching the National leaders.
KEEP YOUR HEAD ABOUT YA: Senior midfielder Claire Oates has three header goals in 2017.
1 - 97' vs. No. 17 Arkansas (W, 1-0 OT)
2 - 79' at Gonzaga (D, 1-1)
3 - 88' at Memphis (D, 3-3)
Â
THOR(NTON)'S HAMMER: Through 11 games in 2017, sophomore Allie Thornton leads SMU with 35 shots and 15 shots on goal. The striker has two goals on the year, recording one at Tulsa and one against Sam Houston State. Against No. 16 Oklahoma, she registered eight shots, equaling Oklahoma's team shots total, with three on frame. In 2016, she finished the season tied with a team-high 10 goals and was second on the team with 23 points. Thornton was the first player since Olivia O'Rear (13) in 2006 to score at least 10 goals in a single-season, and the first since Kimber Bailey (2004, 11) to score 10 or more goals in her freshman year. The 10 goals ranks tied for eight on the SMU All-time goals by a freshman list.
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SHARING THE WEALTH: SMU tallied 45 assist in 2016, eclipsing the 2015 total of 21. Jessica Cooley, Haley Thompson and Vanessa Valadez each tallied a team-high eight assists. SMU finished 17th nationally in assists and 24th in assists per game (2.05).
Â
PUT IT ON THE BOARD: The SMU women's soccer team is 3-2-0 when scoring first. In 2016, the Mustangs were 9-0-0 when scoring first.
MILESTONE 400!: Redshirt junior Vanessa Valadez netted the eventual game-winner in the 27th minute against TCU to propel SMU to a 1-0 win for the 400th program victory. Since the beginning of the program in 1986, the program record is 400-205-47 (.650). The Mustangs have been coached by six different coaches over that span.
2017 AAC HONORS:Â
Catie Brown – Goalkeeper of the Week (Aug. 28)
Isabelle Nashmi – Weekly Honor Roll (Aug. 28)
Vanessa Valadez – Weekly Honor Roll (Sept. 5)
Â
2017 AAC PRESEASON HONORS: The Mustangs were picked to finish second in the American Athletic Conference, receiving three of 10 first place votes by the league's coaches. SMU returns nine of 11 starters from 2016, including three members of the preseason all-conference team: Claire Oates, Vanessa Valadez and Allie Thornton. The trio finished top three in scoring in 2016, with Oates and Thornton leading the way with 10 goals apiece, while Valadez netted nine. Thornton and Valadez were named to the 2016 AAC all-conference first team, while Oates garnered second team honors. Thornton was also named to The American all-rookie team.
Â
2016 AAC HONORS: SMU head coach Chris Petrucelli was name the American Athletic Conference Co-Coach of the Year, and five student-athletes were named to AAC All-Conference teams. Following the AAC Championship, four members were named to the AAC All-Tournament Team
Â
First Team: Allie Thornton & Vanessa Valadez
Second Team: Taylor Barg & Claire Oates
Rookie Team: Allie Thornton & Jessica Cooley
All-Tournament: Catie Brown, Claire Oates, Allie Thornton, Vanessa Valadez
Â
WESTCOTT FIELD: SMU clinched a winning season at Westcott Field in 2016 for the second consecutive season. Since opening in 1994, SMU holds a .713 winning percentage (157-57-20) at Westcott Field. In 23 seasons at Westcott, the Mustangs have finished .500 or better in 21 seasons, with three perfect seasons.
Â
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.Â
NCAA RECOGNITION AWARD: SMU women's soccer was one of two SMU athletic programs to earn Public Recognition Awards for their latest multi-year NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rates (APR). This is the second time the women's soccer team has achieved the honor (2013-14, 2015-16). The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams and provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility, retention and graduation, and provides a measure of each team's academic performance
Players Mentioned
Monday, October 05
Sunday, October 04
Sunday, October 04
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