No. 19 SMU (0-0-0, 0-0-0 AAC) vs. UTRGV (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WAC)
Washburne Stadium - Dallas, Texas
Thursday, Aug. 24 | 8:00 p.m. CT
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By Alex Riley
Special to SMUMustangs.com
DALLAS – Mads Westergren sees potential.
At first glance, the SMU men's soccer roster seems unbalanced. Of the 33 names on the list, only six are seniors or older, with a combined two thirds of the roster (22) coming from the junior and sophomore classes.
Westergren, a junior, knows that younger players are going to be relied on for the Mustangs this fall, both in terms of output and leadership. Consider the challenge accepted.
"I think a lot of the older guys who have been around are stepping up now and being leaders in this group," Westergren said. "But, we've also got a very talented group of both upperclassmen and underclassmen."
That familiarity is what SMU is counting on heading into the 2023 season. With so many underclassmen on the roster last season, the Mustangs thrust many young players into key roles, either at starters or reserves. The experiment worked, as the team reached the NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 overall seed after finishing runner-up in the American Athletic Conference.
Now, they return to the Hilltop as seasoned college soccer players familiar with the routine and what it takes to be successful. Coach Kevin Hudson notes that aside from one or two positions, SMU has the capability to send out a lineup with players who started a significant portion of the action last year.
It's that returning talent that garnered a No. 19 ranking in the United Coaches Soccer preseason poll. It also led to the Mustangs being picked to finish third in the AAC race this fall. But preseason rankings and projections aren't what SMU is focused on.
"We have less question marks going into this year than we did last year — but we have higher expectations," Hudson said. "The team showed last year that it can win at a good level and was the 11th-seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the second round. Hopefully the excitement of the youth and growth of the team last year brings us a little more resilience and maturity coming into this year."
Following an abrupt exit from the AAC Tournament and a heartbreaking one-goal loss to Vermont in NCAAs, the returning SMU players reset their focus on the fall of 2023.
With a wealth of experience and a roster that returns so many familiar faces, the expectations have been elevated for the coming season. Thursday's 8 p.m. opener against UT-Grand Rio Valley will be the first test of the season, as the Mustangs start the campaign with six of their first seven games at home.
It'll be an opportunity to make sure everyone is on the same page and ready for the challenges ahead. From there, the focus is on something bigger.
"We've got to win a ring – whether it's conference or go far in nationals," sophomore Alexander Petraeus said. "I think we have a good opportunity to win the conference this year. Last year, we were one point behind (FIU) all year. I think that's the goal this year to at least win the conference and then hopefully we'll go further in the national tournament this year. We are going to win that ring."
