SMU
UCF (AAC Finals)
Mustangs Set For Title Game Rematch With No. 7 UCF
Nov 9 | Men's Soccer
SMU vs No. 7 UCF
The American Soccer Championship: Final
Nov. 10, 2018Â | 6 P.M CT
UCF Soccer Complex | Orlando, Fla.
ESPN3 | LIVE STATS | SMU STATS
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ORLANDO, Fla. (SMU) – SMU men's soccer face No. 7 UCF in the American Conference Championship game as the Mustangs seek their second consecutive conference tournament title.
-The game will be broadcast on the ESPN3 from UCF Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.Â
-SMU is on a five-game win streak and a seven-match unbeaten streak. The last Mustang loss came to UCF on Sep. 28.
-With a win the Mustangs would earn a bid to their 32nd NCAA Tournament. The 31 previous bids to the tournament is 8th most in the country. SMU has made it to the Sweet 16 on 21 occasions.
-Since the beginning of the program in 1974, only Virginia, Indiana, UCLA and Saint Louis have more bids to the NCAA Tournament.
-Junior defender Phillip Ponder has scored four goals for the Mustangs in the last three games. Previously, Ponder had one career goal before his three-game tear. Ponder had arguably the two biggest goals of the Mustang season over the last two games. In the regular season finale, Ponder opened the scoring before breaking a tie with a late goal that clinched a share of the conference regular season title. On Thursday, Ponder flicked on a service in the goal area for the golden goal that put SMU in the title game.
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Conference Tournament Championship Game History
-The Mustangs are making their ninth appearance in a conference title game, and their second since joining the American Conference.
- Since 1997, the Mustangs have won a conference tournament championship in four different conferences.
- Overall, the Mustangs have a 7-1 record in the championship game.
-On three of occasions, SMU has played overtime in the conference title match, most recently in the 2017 edition against UCF.
-The Mustangs have gone to PKs once in a conference final. In 2003, current Mustang head coach and then senior midfield Kevin Hudson fired the final clinching PK to win the tournament for SMU. Â Â Â Â
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CONFERENCE TITLE GAMES
1997    WAC    Tulsa               W, 4-0
2001    MVC    Creighton        W, 1-0 (OT)
2003    MVC    Bradley            W, 2-1 (PK)
2004    MVC    Tulsa               W, 2-1
2006    CUSA  Kentucky         W, 2-0
2011Â Â Â Â CUSAÂ Â UABÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â W, 2-0
2012    CUSA  Tulsa               L, 0-5
2017Â Â Â Â AACÂ Â Â Â UCFÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â W, 2-1 (OT)
The Mustangs have played in 15 matches that have reached penalty kicks. Their last PKs came in 2015 at the American Tournament against Tulsa. In conference play, the Mustangs are 4-2 when trying to advance past a PK shootout.
SERIES VS. UCF
SMU holds an edge in the all-time series with UCF 7-4-4 in the 15 all-time meetings. UCF topped SMU earlier this season in Orlando to snap the Mustangs two game winning streak against the Knights that included a win in the conference title game in 2017 at Westcott Field. UCF's Cal Jennings had the game-winner in the 2018 matchup though UCF would add a second goal in the game's final minute for the 2-0 win.
CONFERENCE AWARDS
Seven Mustangs have been selected to American Athletic Conference first, second and rookie all-conference teams, the AAC announced Tuesday. SMU had two first team selections in Emil Cuello and Talen Maples. Grant Makela, Akean Shackleford and Garrett McLaughlin picked up second team honors, while Knut Ahlander and Lane Warrington earned all-rookie accolades.
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.
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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
Since the first American Athletic Conference Championship in 2013, six matches have reached penalty kicks. Four of those six have been title matches. The first championship to be determined without PKs was last season's title match between UCF and SMU, which the Mustangs won by a 2-1 score in overtime.
