SMU defender Daniel Lopez challenges Kentucky midfielder Chad Hagerty last Sunday at Westcott Field. (Casey Lee)
The SMU men’s soccer team travels to Florida tonight at 7 p.m. to take on the Florida International Golden Panthers. The game will have an impact on the Mustangs’ seeding in next week’s Conference USA Tournament.
FIU comes into the game with a 4-10-2 overall record and is 2-5 in conference. The Mustangs are 9-5-1 overall and 2-4-1 in conference. SMU currently sits as the seventh seed out of eight teams that make it into the conference tournament. A loss tonight will put SMU in eighth place.
The conference tournament starts Wednesday and is being held at SMU’s Westcott Field.
The Golden Panthers come into the game having won two in a row, including a 2-1 victory over the University of Alabama Birmingham on Nov. 1. Before their current win streak, FIU had lost four straight games.
The Golden Panthers are led by Juan Guerra on offense. The junior midfielder has six goals and four assists on the season to give him a total of 16 points. Sophomore midfielder Marco Balleardes is second on the team with two goals and one assist for a total of five points.
On defense, the Golden Panthers have freshman Jesse Fullerton in goal. Fullerton has a 72 percent save rate in 11 games and has allowed 19 goals, while recording two shutouts.
SMU heads into the game having lost its previous game against Kentucky, 2-1. The Mustangs started the game with an early goal from freshman Arthur Ivo, but the Wildcats answered with two first half goals of their own.
The Mustangs have some tough decisions to make. With their bid in the conference tournament secure, they must decide whether to play certain players who have had injuries.
One of these players is forward Paulo da Silva, who has missed five games due to injury. During the Mustangs’ last game against Kentucky, da Silva was tackled twice in the box and was visibly in pain. da Silva is the leading scorer for the Mustangs, with seven goals and two assists in just 11 games. SMU goalkeeper Craig Hill is allowing less than a goal per game this season.
He was the Conference USA Defender of the Week in the last week of October.
SMU forward Dane Saintus (left) attempts to shake Kentucky’s Barry Rice and Stephen Beiro in Sunday’s 2-1 loss at Westcott Field. (Casey Lee)
