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Post Match Press Conference 

DALLAS (SMU) — The SMU women's soccer program fell 2-1 to No. 9 Stanford on Senior Night on Saturday inside Washburne Stadium.

The Mustangs opened the match by scoring first on last season's national runner-up, but two straight goals from the Cardinal, one late in the first and another early in the second, proved to be the difference in the match.

Eliana Salama's breakout season continued as she added to her career-high total and netted her seventh goal this season. She threaded a shot through the legs of Nya Rose and into the back of the net. Lydia Ungashick and Mackenzie Rudden were credited with the assist on the play. It was Ungashick's first assist this year while Rudden tallied her second. 

Goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde made multiple crucial saves to keep the Mustangs within reach as long as possible, including five in the second half. She ended the match with eight saves, the second most she has recorded in a match this season.

SMU is now 6-5-2 (2-2-2 ACC) this season, while Stanford is now 11-1-1 (3-1-1 ACC) on the year. The Mustangs are only the fifth team to score on the Cardinal this season.

After the match, five SMU seniors, Mackenzie Rudden, Sophie King, Layla Garcia-Moreno, Abby Hampton and Sierra Cota-Yarde were honored for their contributions to the program.

// HOW IT HAPPENED
After both teams had a feeling-out period, SMU broke the scoreless tie in the 17^th minute. Eliana Salama threaded a shot through the legs of a slashing Nya Rose off a feed from Lydia Ungashick to give SMU the advantage.

Both continued to trade scoring opportunities, as Alvord delivered a couple of good runs at the net and Cota-Yarde made a clutch save, stopping a Stanford header from going in.

The Cardinal equalized the match in the 30^th minute as Stanford's Andrea Kitahata got free in the box and found the back of the net.

Both teams head to the half deadlocked 1-1. SMU saved three shots in the half and held the lead in corner kicks (3-2).

The Cardinal turned up the offensive pressure in the second taking 14 shots to SMU's 2.  

Staford took the lead in the 55^th minute, which would become the match-winning goal.

The Mustangs continued to fight. Cota-Yarde made five saves in the half, and Abby Hampton and Hali Hartman both blocked potential goal-scoring shots.

Liz Eddy had a break-away run late in the match, but it fizzled out just outside the box.

// OTHER NOTES
SMU is now 2-4-0 against Stanford. Friday's match was the first time the teams faced each other since 2004. It was also the first time the two teams played each other in Dallas.
In her third season as head coach of the Mustangs, Nicole Nelson is now 27-15-8 overall.
The Mustangs are now 468-245-61 all-time in program history.