SMU (6-3-2, 2-0-2 ACC) at No. 3 Duke (6-1-0, 1-0-0 ACC)
Koskinen Stadium- Durham, N.C.
Friday, Sept. 27 | 3 p.m. (CT)
ACCNX | Get the ACC Network | ACC Network FAQs
Live Stats | SMU Notes | Duke | ACC Women's Soccer
Facebook | X | Instagram
SMU Mobile App | Apple | Google Play
 
// SETTING THE SCENE

• The SMU women's soccer program continues its inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) by traveling to Durham, N.C. to face No. 3 Duke, at 3 p.m. CT. on Friday.
• The Mustangs will look to stay unbeaten in conference action (2-0-2) as the team defeated Syracuse (4-1) and Boston College (1-0) in its first two matches before drawing Miami (3-3) on the road and the No. 2 Florida State (1-1) at home last time out.
• The ACC placed a nation-best seven teams in the latest United Soccer Coaches Poll, headlined by ACC teams holding five spots inside the top 10. Duke sits in third for the second straight week as North Carolina moved to No. 4 and Wake Forest jumped to No. 5.  Stanford holds the No. 6 spot, while Florida State sits at No. 7 to round out the top 10. SMU will or already has played four of those five teams.
• SMU is one of six ACC teams that remain unbeaten in conference action and currently rank second in the conference with eight points
• This season will mark the 39th year of women's soccer on the Hilltop and the third under head coach Nicole Nelson. The Mustangs are 16-6-2 at home under Nelson.

// THE MATCH UP

• Friday's match will be the sixth overall meeting between the two schools but the first since 1996. The overall series is tied 2-2-1 and it will be the fourth time the match is played in Durham, N.C.
• With Duke holding a ranking of No.3, it will be the first time in program history that SMU will play teams ranked inside the top 3 in back-to-back matches. SMU drew No. 2 Florida State (1-1) last time out.  It also marks the second time in program history that SMU will play a team ranked No.3 in the nation. The Mustangs faced No.3 Texas A&M during the regular season in 1997.
• A win over the Blue Devils would be the highest-ranked win in program history. SMU's last top-five-ranked win occurred during the 1997 season as the team defeated No. 4 Texas A&M, 1-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.  
• The last time SMU defeated a nationally ranked top 10 team was in 2012 when the Mustangs beat No. 8 UCF 2-1 on the road.

// HISTORIC OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION

• Through four ACC Matches, SMU leads the conference in scoring nine goals and in total shots with 57.
• The Mustangs have had seven players score at least two goals this season, the most since the team had seven during the 2021 season. Four Mustangs have scored three or more goals this season.
• SMU currently ranks fifth in the ACC and 19th in the NCAA in total goals scored with 27.
• Eliana Salama, Liz Eddy and Emma Alvord have all recorded braces this season. It is the first time since 2022 the Mustangs have had three different players record a brace in the same season.
• The Mustangs have scored at least three goals in six of the team's first 11 matches. It is the most since 2019, when SMU also had six matches of scoring three or more goals. 
• SMU has scored at least three goals in its first four matches, marking the first time since 2004 that the team has accomplished the feat.
• The Mustangs scored 17 goals through their first five games, which is tied for the fifth most goals scored in the first five games of a season in program history and the most since the team scored 20 to start the 2016 season.
• SMU tallied 100 shot attempts in its first five matches and is one of only four ACC schools that had 100 or more shots in that time frame: Florida State-135 (4gm), North Carolina-126, Pitt-111, SMU-100.
• The Mustangs have recorded over 20 shots in four matches this season. It is the first time since 2019 (7) SMU has had multiple matches with over 20 shots taken. Between 2020-23 SMU only had three matches total with over 20 shots taken.
• SMU has tallied double-digit shots in five straight matches and nine total during the season.

// WELCOME TO THE SALAMA SHOW

• Eliana Salama has had a breakout season to remember, as she currently leads the team in goals scored with six after recording her first career brace against Miami. She is also tied for the team-high in assists this season with four (a career-high)
• Salama ranks inside the top 10 in the ACC in seven categories: Total Points (5th,16), Points Per Game (4th 1.45) Total Goals (6th, 6), Goals Per Game (8th, 0.55), Shot Per Game (10th, 3.45), Total Assist (9th, 4) Shots on Goal Per Game (10th, 1.55)
• She also ranks 31^th nationally in total points and 41^th in total goals.

// RECORD BOOK ROSE

• Nyah Rose scored her fourth goal in five games played this season against No. 2 FSU, helping the team secure a 1-1 draw. Rose has now scored in back-to-back matches after she netted her first goal since returning from the FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup against Miami.
•  She missed five matches, including the ACC opener, while playing for Team Canada in the FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup.  She returned to SMU for the team's match against Boston College.        
• Her four goals currently rank second on the team, as she has now scored 15 goals in her SMU career. She currently ranks eight all-time in goals per game in program history (0.65).  
• Rose was a 2024 Hermann Trophy Watch List Honoree.

// DEFENSIVE PROWESS

• The Mustangs have allowed one or fewer goals in 38 of 48 games played under Head Coach Nicole Nelson. This season, SMU has achieved the feat in seven of its 11 matches.
• SMU did not allow a goal in the run of action in its first two ACC matches. Syracuse scored their lone goal on a penalty kick and the team shutout Boston College.
• Since 2022, SMU has shut out 17 opponents, including back-to-back shutouts against Northwestern State (3-0) and Texas Southern (6-0) to begin this season. It marked the fifth time in program history that the Mustangs have not allowed a goal in the season's first two games.
• The Mustangs earned their third shutout of the season against Little Rock (2-0) and shut out three of its first five opponents for the first time since 2021.
• SMU only allowed five shots through the first two games. The Mustangs did not allow Texas Southern to record a single shot, outshooting the Tigers 26-0.

// RANKING THE MUSTANGS

• Goalkeeper Sierra Cota-Yarde ranks second in the ACC in total saves with 43. She has recorded two compete shutouts this season, with the most recent occurring against Boston College. She recorded a season-high nine against No. 2 FSU.   
• Sammy Nieves currently ranks 48th in the nation in game-winning goals (2) and eighth in the ACC.
• Freshman Liz Eddy is second on the team in goals scored with four and in assists with three.
• As a team, SMU ranks 15^th in the NCAA and fifth in the ACC in total goals with 26. The Mustangs also average 2.45 goals a game, which ranks 29^th in the nation and seventh in the ACC.  On the defensive side, SMU is first in the conference in saves per game (4.20).

// SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

• Duke is led by head coach Robbie Church, who is in his 24^th season at the helm of the Blue Devils and holds a record of 299-146-66. He boasts a career record of 386-197-77 in 31 years of head coaching, with stops at Charlotte and Vanderbilt
• Duke is 6-1-0 (1-0-0) this season and has held the No.3 spot nationally for the past two weeks.
• Duke ranks inside the top 10 nationally in eight different statistical categories, third in assists per game (3.71) and fifth in scoring offense (3.29). The Blue Devils have only allowed two goals this season.
• Last time out, Duke picked up their sixth straight win by defeating Clemson 3-1 in its ACC opener.

// LAST TIME OUT

• In a defensive battle, the SMU women's soccer program drew the defending national champions, No. 2 Florida State, 1-1 on Sunday inside Washburne Stadium.
• After a scoreless first half, Nyah Rose gave the Mustangs the lead halfway in the second, but the Seminoles would answer late to end the match in a draw. Rose's goal was only the third goal allowed by FSU this season and the Mustangs are only the second team to hold the number two nationally ranked scoring offense to one goal this year.
• The Mustangs were only the second team this season to hold the lead against FSU.
• Defender Sophie King made a sliding block with 30 seconds left in the match to deny FSU a chance at scoring the match-winning goal. As a team, SMU had eight saves in the second half, ending the match with a season-high of 10.