Box Score Box Score
 
CARY, N.C. (SMU) — No. 25 SMU Men's Soccer defeated Syracuse 5-1 in the Atlantic Conference Championship semifinals at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., on Thursday.
 
The Mustangs advanced to the championship game through goals by Mukisa Emmanuel, Ryan Clanton-Pimentel, Charles-Emile Brunet, Stephan Soghomonian and Landon Hickam.
 
Clanton-Pimentel stood out in the evening by scoring his first career goal and recording two assists.
 
SMU put on a dominant showing by outshooting Syracuse 17 to nine.
 
The Mustangs will now face No. 4 Virginia in its first ever ACC Championship match on Sunday.
 
How It Happened
SMU saw less of the ball at the start of the match but still created more chances, taking three shots to Syracuse's two in the first 25 minutes.
 
Ryan Clanton-Pimentel showed a glimpse of the brilliance he showed the rest of the evening by creating the Mustangs' biggest chance in the early stages. His run on the right wing was found by Jaylinn Mitchell, but Clanton-Pimentel's shot went inches wide.
 
SMU stayed on the front foot and Mukisa Emmanuel opened up the scoring in the 38^th minute of the match. Jaylinn Mitchell passed it to Emmanuel inside the six-yard box, and the forward blasted the ball into the net to give SMU the lead.
 
The Mustangs caught wind and added a second goal in the final minute of the half. Mitchell whipped a cross between a Syracuse defender's legs and Clanton-Pimentel was at the end of it with his overlap run on the right wing to score his first goal for SMU in the 45th minute.
 
SMU led 2-0 going into the halftime break.
 
Charles-Emile Brunet rode the momentum and added a third goal for the Mustangs in the 50^th minute. Stephan Soghomonian swung a cross onto the far post from a corner kick, his cross was met by Slade Starnes, who headed the ball down to Brunet, who ripped a strong shot to rattle the net.
 
The Mustangs remained dominant despite the three-goal lead, and they found their fourth goal in the 60^th minute of the match.
 
Soghomonian scored his 12^th goal of the season with a one-time volley off of Clanton-Pimentel's cross from the right wing.
 
SMU kept the pressure on with fast transition attacks and found its fifth goal in the 83^rd minute. Landon Hickam scored his second goal for SMU from the bench, and Clanton-Pimentel made his second assist of the evening.
 
Syracuse scored a goal from the penalty spot in the 85^th minute, but the Mustangs held the four-goal lead through 90 minutes to advance to the championship game.
 
Other Notes

• SMU will make its first ACC Championship final appearance.
• The Mustangs will take on Virginia in the ACC Championship final. The two teams met in their final regular-season match when UVA won 1-0 on Oct. 31.
• The Mustangs are now 1-1 against Syracuse.
• All five of SMU's goals were scored by different players.
• Stephan Soghomonian scored his 12^th goal of the season and has scored a goal in the last three matches.
• Ryan Clanton-Pimentel scored his first goal for SMU in his first multi-goal-contribution game (1 goal, 2 assists).
• Alex Salvo recorded his first assist of the season.
• Slade Starnes recorded his first assist for SMU.

What's Next?
SMU will face No. 1 seed Virginia in the ACC Championship final in Cary, N.C., at 12 pm CT on Sunday.