Mustangs Host Virginia Tech on Thursday

SMU (5-4-3, 0-3-1 ACC) vs Virginia Tech (6-3-3, 2-2-0 ACC)
Thursday, Oct. 8 • 6 p.m. CT
Washburne Stadium • Dallas, Texas • ACCNX
Watch • Live Stats • SMU Mobile App • Game Promotions • Media Center

DALLAS (SMU) – The SMU women's soccer program begins a three-game homestand by hosting Virginia Tech on Thursday inside Washburne.

The match kicks off at 6 pm CT and airs on ACCNX. Fans can enjoy free admission to all SMU women's soccer regular season matches.

SMU enters the game unbeaten at home this season (5-0-3), the longest home unbeaten streak in a single season since 2004 (7-0-1). The Mustangs have outscored their opponents 20-2 in Washburne this year.

Last time at home, SMU drew No. 6 Stanford 0-0. Aubrey Brown led the way for the Mustangs with nine saves against the Cardinal. SMU has now recorded six shutouts in four of its five seasons under Nicole Nelson.

Brooke Bunton leads SMU with seven goals, including a three-goal performance against Idaho State, the first hat trick by a Mustang since 2023. She ranks tied for sixth in the ACC in total goals scored. Bunton also leads SMU in points with 15 (11^th in the ACC) and in shots with 34 (12^th in the ACC).

Freshman Julianne Richter has proved to be one of the best in the nation at generating offense as she is tied for fifth in the ACC and 30th in the NCAA in assists with six. Richter was named ACC Freshman of the Week (9/8) after tallying two goals and two assists in games against Texas Tech and Idaho State.

Kaylee Noble scored her 17^th career goal against NC State and is now third on the team in goals this season with three. Noble has also recorded three assists this season and is 7th in the ACC in shots on goal per game (1.58).

Goalkeeper Aubrey Brown has led SMU to five solo shutouts and one combined shutout this season. Her five solo shutouts rank tied for first in the ACC and 35th in the NCAA. The team has recorded back-to-back home shutouts twice this year.

Brown was named ACC Goalkeeper / TopDrawerSoccer Goalkeeper of the Week for her play against No. 6 Stanford. The senior finished the match with a season-high nine saves. Her nine saves are tied for the most by an ACC goalkeeper this season. Six of her nine saves came in the second half to help preserve the shutout.

The Mustangs finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a record of 5-1-2 and recorded five shutouts while outscoring their opponents 23-6.

The Mustangs added 17 newcomers to their 2026 roster, 10 freshmen and seven transfers. Head coach Nicole Nelson also brought in two new assistant coaches, Chassion Griggs and former SMU graduate assistant and men's soccer player Nick Petrucelli.

// FRESHMAN STANDOUTS

Freshmen Julianne Richter and Londynn Hagan have been shining bright for the Mustangs.
Richter was named ACC Freshman of the Week (9/8) after stepping up big against Texas Tech, scoring the game-tying goal in the 74^th. Against ISU, she recorded her second multi-assist game of the season and scored her second goal of the year as the Mustangs closed out non-conference play with a dominant home victory.
Richter is tied for fifth in the ACC in total assists with six. She is second on the team in total points with 10.
Hagan is second on the team in goals with four. She has also tallied one assist this season and is third on the team in points with nine.

// SETTING THE SCENE

Friday's match will be the second time SMU and Virginia Tech have played each other. The Hokies lead the series 1-0 after defeating SMU in Blacksburg in 2024.
The Mustangs rank seventh in the ACC and tied for 26^th in the NCAA in goals (27), sixth in the ACC and 36^th in the NCAA in assists (25) and fourth in the ACC in total saves at 38.
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, SMU was ranked 39^th in the RPI rankings. It is the highest RPI ranking for the Mustangs since the final RPI ranking of the 2021 season (39). SMU is one of 13 ACC schools with an RPI ranking inside the top 40. The ACC is the only conference with all members ranked inside the top-100.

// SHUTTING OUT STANFORD

SMU delivered one of its best defensive performances of the season, shutting out No. 6 Stanford 0-0.
Goalkeeper Aubrey Brown led the Mustangs with a season-high nine saves, stifling the high-powered Cardinal offense, which rattled off 26 shots.
It was SMU's sixth home shutout season as Mustangs remained unbeaten at home this season (5-0-3). It is the longest home unbeaten streak since an eight-match unbeaten streak that carried over two seasons (2021-22) and the longest in a single season since 2004 (7-0-1).
Stanford returned six players to the lineup after the U20 World Cup that began on Sept. 5, including goalkeeper Caroline Birkel, who ended the game with four saves. After a scoreless first half, Stanford increased its attack, but the Mustangs stood tall and denied every Cardinal chance while continuing to create their own. The Mustangs' efforts were rewarded with a point in the conference standings against a top-tier opponent.

// OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER

SMU has outscored its opponents 27-15 this season. The +12-goal differential ranks 11^th in the ACC. SMU's 27 goals are the most in a single season since 2024 (32).
The Mustangs' 6-0 victory over Idaho State matched the team's highest goal total in a game under Nelson. It was the third time in her tenure as head coach that SMU has achieved the feat (6-0 vs Texas Southern 8/18/24, 6-3 at Rice 9/14/23).
Five Mustangs have scored multiple goals this season, while Brooke Bunton leads the team with two multi-goal games.

// WINNING AT WASHBURNE

After drawing Stanford, SMU extended its home unbeaten streak to eight (5-0-3). It is the longest home unbeaten streak in a single season since the team went 7-0-1 during the 2004 season. SMU had an eight-match home unbeaten streak over the course of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
The last time SMU had a nine-match home unbeaten streak was over the course of the 2012 and 2013 seasons. Last time SMU achieved the feat in a single season was in 2003, 9-0-0 to end the regular season.
SMU's 20 goals scored in its first seven home games were the most scored since 2016 (30).
SMU holds an impressive 35-12-8 record at home since the 2021 season and is 28-11-6 under Nelson.
SMU is 5-0-3 at home this season and has outscored opponents 20-2 in Washburne.
In total, 22 of SMU's home wins since 2021 have been shutouts.

// IN THE RANKINGS

SMU received votes in the Week 1 IWSOC / United Soccer Coaches Poll. It was the first time the Mustangs had been ranked or received votes in the poll since 2022. (No. 24, Sept. 29, 2022).
In the latest IWSOC / United Soccer Coaches Poll, the ACC had eight teams ranked or receiving votes. North Carolina led the way, ranked No. 1 in the nation, followed by No. 4 Wake Forest, No. 8 Stanford, No. 9 Duke, No. 14 Virginia, No.15 Louisville, No. 18 Notre Dame, and No. 22 Florida State. Clemson received votes.
The Mustangs were picked to finish 14th overall in the ACC preseason poll. SMU finished last season ranked 12th in the conference.
SMU will face six teams that were ranked in the IWSOC / United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll: No. 1 Stanford, No. 3 Duke, No.5 Vanderbilt, No. 8 North Carolina, No. 11 Virginia, and No. 23 Texas Tech.

Schedule

Mustangs Host Virginia Tech on Thursday | 6pm

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Aubrey Brown

Brooke Bunton

Londynn Hagan

Kaylee Noble

Julianne Richter

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Upcoming Events

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at California on Oct 22, 2026 at 2pm CT

Upcoming Event: Women's Soccer at North Carolina on Oct 29, 2026 at 6pm CT

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Results

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Duke on October 16, 2026 , Loss , 0, to, 5

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #14 Virginia on October 11, 2026 , Loss , 1, to, 5

Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus Virginia Tech on October 8, 2026 , Tie , 1, to, 1

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Completed Event: Women's Soccer versus #6 Stanford on September 25, 2026 , Tie , 0, to, 0