By: Victoria White
 
    In 1975, the first year SMU Soccer entered the NCAA, the Mustangs' first win was an 8-1 victory over TCU. Before this Saturday's 6 p.m. match at UCONN, the Mustangs captured the program's 600^th win in front of alumni and students at Westcott Field.
 
    Only 25 programs have earned 600 wins in the history of the NCAA. In SMU's storied history, rich with exhilarating triumph and overcoming obstacles, the Mustangs reveled in excitement after defeating the Cincinnati Bearcats at home, as players of the past also shared in the victory.
 
    "It was a great night," head coach Kevin Hudson said. "The team played very well, and we had a nice alumni tailgate on the roof of the parking garage overlooking downtown. Many of the alumni who contributed to the 600 wins were in attendance which made the night even more special."   
 
    Many Mustang players have even gone on to professional soccer careers.
 
    "There are too many alumni to name," Hudson said. "We've had some big time pros and very successful people play here at SMU. Some of the top pros would be Daniel Hernandez, Luchi Gonzalez, Ugo Ihemelu, Tom Presthus, Paul Broome, Diego Walsh, Kevin Grimes, Ramon Nunez, the list could go on for a while."

    After SMU, Bret Corbin was drafted by the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Arena Soccer League. Corbin was on the team for the Mustangs' first trip to the Final Four in 2000 and vividly remembers the team.
 
    "There was a high level of expectation to try and win as many games as possible, a National Championship," Corbin said. "We made a Final Four appearance during the time that I was there. Every year, we thought we could be a potential winner for that tournament. It was a highly competitive environment and fun. The team was like a family."
 

    One of his favorite wins on the team also made history for the program. 

    "Getting to the Final Four my junior year was pretty amazing, because that was the first time we'd ever done it in school history, and we did it on the road against a really good team at Stanford," Corbin said. "That was a big one that stood out for us. It came down to the last 15 minutes of the game. We finally scored, but it was highly competitive. They were a very, very good team. It was a giant road win to get to get, so that was very fun."
 
 
    The team's reaction was unforgettable.
 
    "Oh, it was like delirium," Corbin said with a laugh. "It was crazy."
 
    Hudson was also on the team for that win. However, Hudson said there are a few differences between winning as a player and coach.
 
    "As a player the biggest win I was a part of was a 2-1 victory at Stanford in 2000. It was the Elite Eight, and the win took SMU to our first Final Four," Hudson said."It's definitely different as a coach versus a player. The players feel the pure elation of winning, and it can last for several days. As a coach, that elation lasts a short time, it then turns to relief and then you quickly start focusing on the next match."
 
    The second time the team went to the Final Four, Bruno Guarda was a freshman in 2005.
 
 
    "We had a big class my freshman year, joining the other classes," Guarda said. "We had a tremendous team, very powerful team, [and] one of the perfect team chemistries I have ever seen in SMU history."

    Guarda played for the Mustangs for three years before continuing professionally with FC Dallas and the Dallas Sidekicks.
 
    "It was one of the best times of my life to be in the soccer program," Guarda said. "We did have three years of victories and memorable moments that I'll never forget."

    In the Elite Eight, he remembers a thrilling game for SMU on December 4, 2005 facing North Carolina.
 
    "I think the most memorable and unforgettable victory was at Chapel Hill playing UNC at our Elite Eight game when Michael Uremovich scored the third goal that put us into the Final Four," Guarda said. "That game we started very hot. I scored the first goal, it was 1-0. And then, Duke Hashimoto scored the second one. We were up 2-0, but the Chapel Hill boys came back, and tied us at 2-2 so, we went to overtime. It was crazy, and Uremovich was on the bench. He was a senior. He came in that game and they took a shot from like 35 out, and he went over 90, and we won 3-2."
 
    Celebration ensued after winning in double overtime.
 
 
    "Everybody was just hugging," Guarda said. "Collapsed in the middle of the field, just hugging and thanking Uremovich for putting us in that Final Four. It was amazing. It was one of these games that I'll never forget."
 
 
    The program has evolved, but the principles have stayed the same. In addition to the two trips to the Final Four, there have been 19 regular season conference championships, 8 conference tournaments trophies brought back to The Hilltop and over 40 All-American selections earned by Mustangs.
 
    "The program has evolved in many ways, but the core principles and foundation of SMU Soccer were established long before my time as a player and coach," Hudson said. "A winning culture rooted in quality people who truly care about each other.  A belief in playing attractive attacking soccer but not losing sight of defensive responsibilities. These things go back over 40 years."
 
 
    David Easterling played for the Mustangs from 1979-82.
 
    "My sophomore year was probably the best SMU team that I played on. We had three All-Americans on that team which I think was maybe the first time that's ever happened with any soccer program in the NCAA Division 1," Easterling said. "I played with some great guys. One guy in particular his name was Kamal Khalilian and he may still hold the goal scoring record at SMU."

    During his two years on the roster, Khalilian earned 58 goals, 37 assists and a total 153 points, still holding the school record set almost 40 years ago.
 

    "My sophomore year, he was like a man among boys. He was so talented. You found yourself in awe of the things he could do. He'd take the ball from midfield, dribble through six or seven guys and score great goals," Easterling said. "We had a lot of players like that, a lot of talented players."
 
    Easterling, and many players, still attend games at Westcott Field today. 
 
    "I've probably been to 70 or 80 percent of the games in the last 10 years, so I still see a lot of SMU Soccer," Easterling said. "It's so neat to come out to games today because you can see the progress that soccer has made, both in this country and at the collegiate level."

    When he was on the squad, only 20 teams made the playoffs, and "it wasn't unusual to play against guys who were five, six, seven years older than we were, both on our team and other teams."
 
    "We used to practice on the game field that they use now at Westcott," Easterling said. "That was our practice field, and then, the stadium field was where we played our games. The practice field was also used by Michael Carter. He was the famous Olympian shot putter, so we had shot put holes all over the field. I had my ankles wrapped the whole time I was in college. The facilities that they have today are so much better than they were when we were there. The game has improved and the game has come a long way."
 
    Although a lot has changed, the high level of expectation is still the same.
 
 "It's a huge accomplishment for the program and the coaches, currently and in the past, to just have an expectation and a level of excellence that we are one of the premiere soccer programs in the country for Division 1 soccer," Corbin said. "A lot of hard work. A lot of dedication. It's huge for the program, and hopefully, it will continue in that direction, which I think under the leadership of Kevin Hudson, they're in very good hands for the future, moving forward."
 
    Guarda said achieving 600 wins brings pride to former players.
 
    "The alumni are very proud of Kevin and the program that he has brought back the winning feeling," Guarda said. "The alumni and SMU players, we will be supporting every game and every chance that we have at home and away. The alumni will be supporting the program to help them achieve a College Cup and hopefully an NCAA title that we will be fighting for forever until we get one."
 
    Easterling, too, is proud of the program's history.
 
    "That's a historical landmark to hit for any program," Easterling said. "I'm proud of SMU, and I'm proud to have been involved in the program. That's just a milestone that's difficult to get to, especially in this climate when you just have a lot of talented programs now. I'm excited for the program, and I think they're going to continue to rack up a lot of wins." 
    
    Hudson said the soccer team is staying true to their values in pursuit of wins.
 
    "Our recent teams have established 5 core values of commitment, hard work, accountability, family, and positive attitude," Hudson said.
 
    This year's team which has grown together throughout the season, is nearing the conference tournament and postseason.
 
    "The current team has really developed this season," Hudson said. "We started the year with a lot of uncertainty and question marks at numerous positions. We graduated a great 2017 senior class, so it took us about a month to find our new identity. The best part is that we are playing our best soccer of 2018 currently, and hope to continue this form for rest of the year."