SMU (8-4-2, 4-1-1 American)
Temple (5-8-4, 2-3-1 American) 
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Notes: SMU (PDF) | Temple (PDF) | American (PDF) | Championship Central
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DALLAS (SMU) - SMU (8-4-2, 4-1-1) hosts Temple (5-8-4, 2-3-1) in the regular-season finale Friday at 7:00 pm CT at Westcott Field. The Mustangs can clinch at least a share of the American Athletic Conference regular-season title with a win on senior day while the Mustangs honor Christian Boorom, Emil Cuello and Caleb Smith prior to kickoff.

The top four teams in the standings (UCF, SMU, UConn, USF) are all still in contention to claim the regular season title and host the Championship. Tournament seedings and location will be determined after Friday's final regular season contests.

SMU is on a three-game win streak and recorded its sixth shutout of the season and moved into a tie for first in the American Athletic Conference with UCF after its 2-0 win at Connecticut on Oct. 28, handing UConn its first loss at home this season and snapping the Huskies' 10-game win streak.

SERIES VS. TEMPLE
SMU is 4-1-1 against the Owls all-time, 2-1-1 at home, 2-0 away, and 0-0 neutral. The last time these two squads met, Mauro Cichero's header in the 80th minute proved to be the game-winner as the then No. 25 SMU men's soccer team defeated Temple, 2-1 at the Temple Sports Complex.
 
VETERAN NETMINDER
Junior keeper Grant Makela has made 13 starts in net for the Mustangs this season and is 8-3-2 so far. His goals against average is sitting at 0.744 ranking him the best amongst conference goalkeepers. His six shutouts are ranked 26th most in the nation and first in the American.
 
WITH THE ASSIST
Senior midfielder Emil Cuello leads the American for Assists Per Game and Total Assists at a mark of .43 and six. His average is ranked for 45th best in the country. The Orem, Utah native tallied a pair of helpers against Campbell and Memphis and assisted on goals against Houston Baptist and Gonzaga.
 
SHOTS PER GAME
SMU is averaging 16.00 shots per game, marking the squad second in the American behind UCF and eighth in the NCAA rankings. Emil Cuello and Akean Shackleford lead the team with five goals a piece, and Garrett McLaughlin has tallied three on the season.
 
AT THE CORNER
The Mustangs have earned, on average, 5.93 corner kicks per game this season. The teams average is 24th most in the NCAA and third in the American Athletic Conference.
 
WEEKLY CONFERENCE AWARDS
Sophomore Talen Maples was named Defensive Player of the Week and freshman Lane Warrington was named Rookie of the Week by the American Athletic Conference after the team's 1-0 victory over Tulsa (9/22/18) to open conference play. Maples, the team's captain, played all 90 minutes in the victory and was part of a defensive effort that submitted the Mustangs' fourth shutout on the year. The Leander, Texas product also logged a shot on goal in the team's win to open conference play for the first time since 2015.
 
Warrington, in the fourth start of his collegiate career, found the back of the net in the 3' of the contest when he launched a strike near the left corner of the goal box. The Lawton, Oklahoma native is the second Mustang to notch the first goal of his collegiate career this season.
 
Junior Grant Makela was named Goalkeeper of the Week by the American Athletic Conference after the team's 3-0 victory over Memphis (10/12/18). Makela played all 90 minutes and picked up his fifth shutout of this season. The junior turned aside all four shots he faced. With five shutouts in his 11 games in net this season, Makela and SMU lead the conference in the category.
 
Freshman Thomas Haney was named Rookie of the Week by the American Athletic Conference after the team's 2-0 victory over UConn (10/28/18). Haney's first career goal came at the most crucial of times for SMU, as he put the Mustangs on the board first against UConn on Saturday. The freshman converted a header off the assist from Knut Ahlander in the 49th minute for what would be the game winner.
 
IT'S AN HONOR
Sophomore defender Talen Maples was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll (9/4/18) for his game winning goal that came in the 60th minute of the Incarnate Word match. Maples notched goals in back-to-back contests, his first coming in the 18th minute against Campbell in a 4-0 victory. He is the second Mustang to be named to the Honor Roll this season.
 
Junior defender Eddie Munjoma was named to the American Athlete Conferences' Honor Roll (8/27/18) after he racked up two goals against Campbell and an assist against Providence. Munjoma's goals were the first of his career.
 
Senior midfielder Emil Cuello was named to the American Athlete Conferences' Honor Roll (10/15/18) after he racked up two goals against Memphis, scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the season as SMU downed the Tigers, 3-0.
 
Junior forward Akean Shackleford was named to the American Athlete Conferences' Honor Roll (10/22/18) after he racked up two goals against Cincinnati, scoring his fourth and fifth goals of the season as SMU defeated the Bearcats, 3-1.
 
Junior goalkeeper Grant Makela was named to the American Athlete Conferences' Honor Roll (10/29/18) after he turned aside four shots against UConn to pick up his sixth shutout between the pipes on the season
 
MCLAUGHLIN NAMED TO MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
American Athletic Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Garrett McLaughlin was the lone conference player to make the 2018 Preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List as announced by United Soccer Coaches. McLaughlin was one of just 31 Division I men's players tabbed to the list on August 9. 2018 marks the third-straight season SMU has seen a player named to the Preseason Watch List, as Mauro Cichero was recognized the past two seasons.
 
RETURNING OFFENSE
The Ponies will look to Garrett McLaughlin and Emil Cuello, both Preseason All-American Athletic Conference selections, along with three other multiple goal scorers from last season, Nicky Hernandez, Christian Boorom and DJ Williams Jr., to lead the offensive charge in the year's campaign. McLaughlin, an Oklahoma City, Okla. native, led the team in points last year with 31 total, netting 14 goals and assisting on three, and Cuello, an Orem, Utah product, found the back of the net twice and notched five helpers, the second most on the team. McLaughlin was also named the 2018 AAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
 
CONSISTENT SUCCESS
SMU made its 31st NCAA Tournament appearance last season after winning both the regular season and AAC Tournament. In the NCAA Tournament, the Ponies beat Central Arkansas and Georgetown before falling to North Carolina, the No. 3 seed, in the Sweet 16. It was the 21st time that the Mustangs have reached the Sweet 16.
 
FRESH FACES
The Mustangs welcome 13 newcomers to the team, all freshmen, along with first-year Associate Head Coach Bed Stoddard and Director of Operations and Video Services Elmer Selaya. Stoddard comes to the Hilltop from Oregon State where he spent the last 4 seasons and Selaya was a coach at CoachUp in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
 
600 CLUB
SMU men's soccer became the 25th program in NCAA history to reach 600 programs wins with its 3-1 win over American Athletic Conference opponent Cincinnati on Oct. 20 at Westcott Field in Dallas.
 
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
With last weekend's results, the full field of six teams – UCF, UConn, Memphis, USF, SMU and Temple – is solidified for the 2018 American Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship. UCF and SMU jumped into a tie for first place heading into the final week of the regular season with victories over Memphis and UConn, respectively.
 
The top four teams in the standings are all still in contention to claim the regular season title and host the Championship. Tournament seedings and location will be determined with Friday's final regular season contests.
 
 
2018 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Host: No. 1 seed
 
First Round • Tuesday, Nov. 6
American Digital Network
Game 1: No. 6 seed vs. No. 3 seed                 TBD
Game 2: No. 5 seed vs. No. 4 seed                 TBD
 
Semifinals • Thursday, Nov. 8
American Digital Network
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 2 seed          TBD
Game 4: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 1 seed          TBD
 
Championship • Saturday, Nov. 10
ESPN3
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4                TBD