Last season, the women’s soccer team finished 6-13-1 and 4-7 overall in Conference USA. A first-round loss in the C-USA Championship led to the team failing to make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row.
Now, with over half the team new to the realm of college soccer, SMU could have an advantage of clinching the conference championship title, as the Mustangs play host to the tournament in November.
“I think the bigger thing we have going for is that we have a bunch of returning players who know understand the standards, how things are done and what is expected of them,” head coach Brent Erwin said. “They came in prepared to train so now as the younger players come in they can step right, follow by example and do well.”
This year’s roster – 15 freshmen, 10 sophomores, four juniors and two seniors – puts a plethora of talent and experience on the field, as the team returns 12 members, including pre season All-Conference player, senior Kim Peabody.
Returning to join Peabody in the backfield is sophomore goalkeeper, Courtney Webb. After starting 11 games in her break-out season, Webb, a Dallas native, shut out the University of Texas at El Paso in her first career start, leading to 11 saves overall and a team high .797 save percentage in 2008.
“She’s just fantastic,” Erwin said of Peabody. “She’s consistently one of our best players. She provides us not only in terms of her speed and ability to play but she’s also developed into a good communicator. You can’t put a single value on her because she does so many different things so very well.”
Kristin Medeiros, the junior defender from Colo., continues to prove herself as a valuable asset on the team, scoring two goals in the Mustang’s fall exhibition win over Stephen F. Austin. Heading into her junior year, Medeiros has seven goals and one assist in her career.
Also returning to the lineup is the team’s leading scorer from last season, Logan May, a sophomore who totaled eight points with three goals and two assists in her first year.
With two games and two losses already under their belt, the Mustangs’ next stop is the Saint Mary’s Invitational in California against Saint Mary’s and the University of California.
It’s just keeping the faith and continuing to believe in one another,” Erwin said. “You just need the time to come together as a team and then all you need is that stroke of luck.”
Last year, the Mustangs put their skills to the test against four nationally ranked teams before heading into conference play. This year, No.4 Portland and No.11 Oklahoma State, ranked according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America polls, will play against the Mustangs. Portland will play at Westcott Field on Sept. 20 and will be the last game before conference play begins.
“We’re an example of what SMU as a university and athletic department is going through,” Erwin explained. “We have tons of potential and wonderful people inside the program but we just need that spark to get us started and once that happens the sky is the limit.”
SMU will kick off conference play with a two-game road series against Colorado College and UTEP before returning home to take on Rice. Reigning C-USA champ, Memphis will host SMU in mid-October, following a four game home stint for the Mustangs.
SMU will play all ten conference teams once before the championship begins, with the top six teams qualifying for a single-elimination spot in the bracket.
“I don’t think any team is appreciably better than anyone else so it’s all about using your non-conference games to make sure you’ve learned how to play in different situations,” Erwin said. “Conference games are hard so I think the way we’re going at it right now, we’ll be very well prepared.”
Should the Mustangs qualify for the post season, the first game of the tournament will be played at Westcott Field will be on Nov. 4.
