SMU (0-0-0) vs. Oral Roberts (0-0-0)
Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium - Dallas, Texas
Thursday, Aug. 25, 2022, 7 p.m.
Live Stats | Watch: ESPN+
Match Notes (PDF)
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DALLAS (SMU) – SMU men's soccer team opens its fall schedule on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Oral Roberts.
 
Thursday's match marks the start of the men's inaugural season of competition at the Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium.
 
Series History
• SMU and Oral Roberts have faced off nine times since their first meeting on October 19, 1993. 
• The last meeting between the two programs was on October 17, 2017, when the Mustangs beat the Golden Eagles 2-0 in Dallas. 
• Thursday's contest will be the 10th matchup between the two schools. SMU is 9-0 all-time against Oral Roberts dating back to 1993. All nine matches have been played in Dallas. 
 
Scouting Oral Roberts
• The Golden Eagles finished the 2021 season with an 11-2-2 record, including a 4-1-1 mark in the Summit League and a 7-1-1 nonconference record. 
• The reigning Summit League regular season co-champions played to the conference tournament championship before falling in penalty kicks to Denver.
 
Senior Stangs
• SMU's roster includes four seniors and two graduate students. 
• This year's senior class includes Judson Burns, Roman Knox, along with transfers JP Fernandez and Braam Karsgaren. 
• Two-time all-AAC first team member and SMU 2021 assist leader Knut Ahlander returns to the Hilltop for another season. Joining Ahlander as a graduate student is transfer Henry Howell, who arrives in Dallas after starting all eight games at Davidson in 2021, adding experience to the roster. 
 
New Additions
• The Mustangs have added a 15-player 2022 recruiting class, one of the largest classes in program history. 
• This group of newcomers ranks among the top 25 in the nation by TopDrawer Soccer. In addition, this marks SMU's fourth consecutive ranked recruiting class. 
• Braam Kaarsgaren, Henry Howell and JP Fernandez bring additional experince to the Hilltop as transfers. 
• The remaining 12 new faces are highly-touted incoming freshmen who make their way to Dallas from California, Connecticut, New Mexico, Florida, Oklahoma, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands. Two hail from the metroplex as they choose to embrace Dallas' college as their new home.
 
2022 Preseason Honors
• Mustang Midfielder Knut Ahlander was named to the Preseason All-AAC Team. In addition, the two time first team all-conference selection was named a United Soccer Coaches Player to watch for the 2022 season.
• SMU was picked fifth in the AAC 2022 Preseason Coaches Poll.
• SMU checked in at No. 12 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll.
 
Recapping 2021
• The Mustangs finished the 2021 season with an 8-5-3 record, including a 5-4-1 mark in the AAC, finishing fourth place in the conference. 
• During postseason play, the fourth-seeded Mustangs fell in a hard-fought contest to topseeded Tulsa in the AAC semifinal. 
• Gabriel Costa helped lead the team offensively with a team high eight goals, while Papa Ndoye cashed in on five attempts and Skage Simonsen scored four goals on the season. Knut Ahlander led the team with seven assists. 
• Cole Johnson handled the responsibilities in goal. Johnson recorded 46 saves on the season, including six blank sheets. 
 
Returners 2021 Conference Honors
• Midfielder Knut Ahlander earned an All-AAC First Team nod for the second consecutive season after making the list in the prior spring. 
• Freshmen Bailey Sparks and Mads Westergren were named to the league's AllRookie Team thanks to their contributions on offense and defense, respectively.
 
ESPN+ Coverage
• This season, all of SMU's home games will be featured on ESPN+ along with a select few away games. Stay up-to-date on coverage information on SMUMustangs.com.