The SMU women's soccer team spent the offseason building a roster capable of competing in the country's toughest conference and is using the spring to bring it together to build the chemistry it needs to be ready this fall.

The talent level in the ACC is elite. The conference has produced 10 of the last 12 College Cup teams, all six national championship game participants and the last three national champions. One way to counteract that is by everyone being on the same page.

"It's a crucial development period, now more than ever, given there is more transition in the roster year to year," SMU head coach Nicole Nelson said. "The spring is great because we have a lot of hours on the field and with our performance staff. We can spend time teaching our principles of play and then have the opportunity to measure the growth in the game environment."

One of the most valuable parts of the spring is simply being on the field together.

"Especially in the ACC, chemistry is everything," junior goalkeeper Aubrey Brown said. "Everyone is so organized offensively and defensively, so being able to know the person next to you and what their tendencies are, that's how you're going to be able to expose other teams' weaknesses in the moment. That's what a lot of the spring is about."

This season will be Brown's second competing to be the SMU's starting keeper. Last season was a learning experience, and this spring is a chance for her to get better at what she was good at and develop in areas she had room to grow.

Brown is also developing as a leader, which is especially important with a new-to-SMU backline in front of her.

"Aubrey's learning curve last fall was exceptional, given it was her first season with game minutes at this level," Nelson said. "Aubrey is driven to be a top goalkeeper in the ACC, and she's committed to her development overall."

Seniors Jessica Osborne and Ella Zimmerman, along with sophomores Maleeya Martin and Olivia Silcox, are expected to be part of that line in front of Brown. Three have power conference experience, with Osborne coming from Auburn, Zimmerman from Iowa State and Martin from Michigan State, while Silcox was at Memphis.

"Maleeya has done great. She has experience beyond her years, given she played in the USL Super League before going to Michigan State," Nelson said. "Our staff did an incredible job last December with our portal recruiting. All the transfers have come in and immediately raised the level. They help drive the standard daily."

They join returning sophomores Brooke Bunton, Nicole Stryker, Savannah Chenail, and Julianna Millin, along with incoming freshmen Kamiya Beck, Julianne Richter, Ryann Dedmon and Kenlea Swadener. It makes for a good mix of talent, experience and fresh energy.

"I think it's really been nice to have the older girls kind of like guide us, and then even I have a little bit of experience playing somewhere else," Martin said. "So I think we all bring our experiences here together and have been able to work together really well, just knowing where we came from."

One of the key pieces in the midfield is part returner, part newcomer, Brooke Bunton, who is back from last year's team, though she appeared in only four games. 

While she wasn't able to get much experience on the field, she got it in other places. Being forced to watch from the sideline isn't ideal, but Bunton made the most out of it.

"I got to listen to everything, got to sit in meetings, got to watch games, got to coach from the sidelines," Bunton said. "So being able to come in and actually play and be a part of the team, it's good to see it all working together."

Along with freshman Kamiya Beck, Bunton was just part of the United States U-18 team that won the Pinatar Cup 2026. Bunton even wore the armband for her country. Having her available this season will help the Mustangs.

"Brooke was just the captain for the U.S. U18 team in Spain this week, so losing her for the season last year was tough for her and the team," Nelson said. "It also built resilience and gave her time to develop in all areas. She is a tremendous player, but her values as a person, her work rate, her drive to be exceptional, etc., are what separate her."

The spring games are the first time Bunton has dressed for SMU since mid-September, and the first time the rest of the returners have played together since the end of October.

"The freshman class from last year has continued to make huge strides regarding their development and are taking ownership to drive the standards daily," Nelson said. "The older returners have done a great job on all these fronts as well."

Meanwhile, it is the first time putting on an SMU jersey for the group of newcomers. That group has come in and gone right to work to help the Mustangs compete in the toughest conference in the country.

"They have made our roster better. They want to go make a name for SMU in the ACC," Nelson said. "They are driven and willing to put in the work it takes, and they seem committed to our vision, values and standards."

The spring games present a unique chance to try things exactly how the Mustangs would like them to look in the fall. And to try things another way and see what they could look like when the games matter.

"I think the spring is vital for a successful fall," Martin said. "We don't have to be perfect, because we're not competing for championships. So it's nice to work through the kinks and kind of learn how to play together since we do have so many new girls."

Even without the pressure of results, the spring games give SMU a chance to build chemistry and work through the adjustments that come with a new-look roster.

"I take it as like building chemistry and building a flow in the game, and just learning from our mistakes, trying to get better and better every time," Bunton said. "I'm really excited. I'm ready to put that jersey back on and play with my teammates and just have a lot of fun."