SMU (4-2-0, 0-0-0 AAC) at Rice (2-5-1, 0-0-0 AAC)
Holloway Field - Houston, Texas
Thursday, Sept. 14 | 7:00 p.m. CT
ESPN+ |Live Stats
SMU Notes | Rice
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SETTING THE SCENE
• SMU enters Thursday's AAC opener after beating Oklahoma State 1-0 at Washburne Stadium on Sunday.
• Peyton Annen scored in the 16th minute off an assist from Eliana Salama to serve as the Mustangs' match winner. 
• SMU's win over Oklahoma State improved the Mustangs to 2-0 versus Big 12 opponents last week after also beating Baylor on Thursday.
• SMU is receiving votes for the third time this season in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. 
• Peyton Annen and Nyah Rose were awarded AAC Defensive Player and Freshman of the Week honors (Sept. 11). Samantha Estrada also earned her second AAC Honor Roll selection of the season.
• SMU earned its first shutout of the season versus Oklahoma State. The Mustangs have now allowed one or fewer goals in 20 of 25 games under Head Coach Nicole Nelson. 
• Rice comes into Thursday's match with a 2-5-1 record, including an 0-2 home record.
• Thursday's match at Holloway Field kicks off at 7 p.m. and can be livestreamed on ESPN+.

SERIES HISTORY
• SMU holds an all-time record of 16-6-2 versus Rice. The Mustangs defeated the Owls 2-1 in the two programs' last matchup at Washburne Stadium in 2022.

2023 HONORS/AWARDS
• Preseason AAC Watchlist
    Samantha Estrada, Wayny Balata, Peyton Annen
• AAC Weekly Honors
    Aug. 28
    Eliana Salama (Offensive Player of the Week)
    Mayu Inokawa (Defensive Player of the Week)
    Samantha Estrada (Honor Roll)
    Sept. 4
    Nyah Rose (Honor Roll)
    Sept. 11
    Peyton Annen (Defensive Player of the Week)
    Nyah Rose (Freshman of the Week)
    Samantha Estrada (Honor Roll)

LAST TIME OUT
• SMU shut out Oklahoma State at Washburne Stadium to come away with the 1-0 victory.
• Peyton Annen scored the only goal of the afternoon in the 16th minute off a cross from fellow sophomore Eliana Salama.
• Samantha Estrada tallied four saves for the Mustangs.
• SMU allowed only four shots on goal to the Cowgirls, who entered the match with the nation's ninth highest scoring average (3.57).
• The Mustangs out-shot the Cowgirls 12-9 and earned more corner kicks (4-3).
• SMU's victory moved the Mustangs to a 3-2 record over Big 12 and SEC opponents on the season.

UP TO THIS POINT
• SMU's victory over Oklahoma State marks the Mustangs' third win over Big 12 and SEC opponents on the season.
• Leah Chancey's match winning goal in the 60th minute propelled SMU past Baylor 2-1 for the Mustangs' second road victory of the season.
• Nyah Rose recorded a hat trick to lead the SMU women's soccer team to a 3-1 victory at SFA.
• Eliana Salama scored the game-winner in the 83rd minute as SMU won its home opener 2-1 versus No. 25 Tennessee.
• SMU's match versus Houston Christian on Aug. 24 was cancelled due to an illness within the HCU program.

RECEIVING VOTES
• SMU is receiving votes for the third time this season in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll. 
• The Mustangs entered the season receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll.
• SMU also received votes in the Aug. 29 poll after beating No. 25 Tennessee.

CAN'T DE-NYAH
• Nyah Rose recorded a hat trick in SMU's 3-1 victory  over SFA - the program's latest since Allie Thornton's four goals against Northern Colorado on Sept. 6, 2019.
• Rose has earned AAC Weekly accolades (Honor Roll, Freshman of the Week) in two consecutive weeks. 
• Rose scored the first goal for the Mustangs at Baylor. She also recorded her first career assist to Leah Chancey for the match-winning goal.

AAC LEADERS
• Nyah Rose leads the AAC in shot accuracy (.714), and second in goals-per-game (.83), points-per-game (1.83) and 
• Samantha Estrada ranks second in the conference in saves per game (4.83) and total saves (29).

DEFENSIVE PROWESS
• The Mustangs have allowed one or fewer goals in 20 of 25 games played under Head Coach Nicole Nelson.
• Samantha Estrada is averaging 4.83 saves per match in 531 minutes played.
• Mayu Inokawa (Aug. 28) and Peyton Annen (Sept. 11) have earned AAC Defensive Player of the Week honors this season.

2023 AAC WATCHLIST
•  Samantha Estrada, Wayny Balata and Peyton Annen were all named to the AAC Women's Soccer Watch List to begin the 2023 season.
•   Estrada was awarded the AAC Goalkeeper of the Week and named AAC Weekly Honor Roll twice in 2022.
•   Balata was a Preseason All-AAC selection in 2022, a season in which she ranked first in the conference for penalty kicks (1).
•   Annen was selected to the AAC All-Rookie Team and honored once as the AAC Rookie of the Week in 2022.

MUSTANG CAPTAINS
• Samantha Estrada played and started in 9 games in 2022. The El Paso, Texas, native won AAC Goalkeeper of the Week (Sept. 26). Estrada saved 35 shots, posted 4 shutouts and obtained a goal-against average of .51 in 2022.
• Wayny Balata played in 11 games for the Mustangs, starting seven. The Montreal, Quebec, native scored four goals and assisted on one in 2022. Balata also led the conference in penalty kicks (1).
• Mackenzie Rudden played in all 19 games and started 12 in her first season with SMU. The Phoenix, Az., native scored the lone goal in the Mustangs' 1-0 win over Baylor and assisted on two scores in 2022. 

RECENT RECORDS
• SMU set two program defensive records in 2022. The Mustangs finished the year with a .854 (13 GA, 76 saves) save percentage and a .68 (13 GA, 1730 min) goals against average. 
• The two team records were made possible with a tremendous defensive outing throughout 2022, a season in which SMU allowed 1 or fewer goals in 15 of its 19 games (including AAC Conference Tournament Championship). SMU also tied for the program's 10th best season shutout tallies (8). 
• Goalkeepers Samantha Estrada and Tatum Sutherland found themselves in the record books. Estrada posted the program's second-lowest goal against average (.51) through 701 minutes of play, while Sutherland achieved the fifth-lowest (.80) in 1008 minutes.

RETURNING MUSTANGS
• The Mustangs return 16 players from the 2022 season.
• All 16 returners saw action in 2022, including six who played in all 19 games.
• Returning Mustangs account for 10 of 27 goals scored (37%), 15 of 21 assists made (71%), and 35 of 75 points accrued (47%) throughout the 2022 season. 
• Wayny Balata, Sammy Nieves, Mackenzie Rudden, Kaya Lee and Peyton Annen combined for a total of ten goals last season. Balata (4) tied for the Mustangs' second most scores in 2022.
• SMU returns both of its primary goalkeepers in Samantha Estrada and Tatum Sutherland.

FRESH FACES
• SMU added eight freshmen and one transfer to its 2023 roster. 
• Sophomore Layla Garcia-Moreno from Angamacutiro Michoacan, Mexico and freshman Nyah Rose from Markham, Ontario,  join two other Mustangs who originate from outside the United States (Wayny Balata - Montreal, Quebec; Mayu Inokawa - Saitama, Japan).
• Four 2023 additions are Texas natives - freshmen Truth Byars (Richardson), Treasure Byars (Richardson), Emma Alvord (Argyle) and Aubrey Brown (Irving).

UP NEXT
• SMU comes back to the Hilltop to take on Tulsa at Washburne Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 21. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and can be livestreamed on ESPN+.