SMU men’s soccer, No. 21, took on No. 24 USF for a 2-2 draw on Westcott Field on Saturday. The Mustangs are still leading the league with a record of 8-3-2 on the season and 3-0-2 in American Athletic Conference play. The Bulls sit at 8-4-1 and 3-1-1 in AAC play.
USF made its first goal in the 21st minute and it wasn’t until the 61st minute that the Mustangs found their groove and tied it up.
SMU freshmen Bryce Clark and Jared Rice lined for a 30-yard free kick for SMU and Clark connected on the set piece over the arms of USF goalkeeper Spasoje Stefanovic for a goal.
“We expected nothing less than a very difficult game against a very difficult opponent,” Head Coach Tim McClements said. “I’m very proud of the players coming back from a goal down and then doing it again. I felt like we generated enough opportunities to get the third goal, but it just didn’t happen. So we’re disappointed that we didn’t win the game, but it’s a typical American Athletic Conference game at the top level.”
The Bulls quickly came back in the 63rd minute for another goal, putting them ahead yet again. The Mustangs gained momentum with a 11-2 advantage in shots in the second frame, giving them another opportunity off a free kick in the 75th minute. Rice was able to place a perfect ball on the head of junior Idrissa Camara, who headed the ball over Stefanovic. This marked his team-leading sixth of the season.
“The players are focused. They knew what USF was about,” McClements said. “They knew it was a difficult opponent and they were prepared.”
Clark was one of the Mustang leaders with a game-high four shots on goal and Camara had three. It was Senior Andrew Morales, redshirt-freshman Abdul Yassine and freshman Jordan Cano who accounted for SMU’s remaining shots.
“I thought they did an excellent job,” McClements added. “We were able to move the ball around the park and able to generate a lot of opportunities in the game, but it was a physical match so sometimes they looked a little bit sloppy. But it’s a conference match and that’s going to happen when you’re fighting for points and postseason play.”
The Mustangs take on Tulsa for an AAC road game rivalry on Wednesday at at 7 p.m.
