The Mustangs’ Lauren Shepherd defends the ball against Arizona State’s Carly Kallas during their game in September. SMU will play its first conference opponents this weekend. (David Redish)
The SMU women’s soccer team heads into conference play this weekend with away matchups against Colorado College and UTEP.
The Mustangs stand at 5-3-1 prior to beginning Conference USA games. Junior defender Caitlin Carter explained the importance of kicking off conference play.
“These are the first conference games so we need to start off on the right foot by winning both and putting us in a good position.”
The women will take on the Colorado College Tigers at 4 p.m. Mountain Time in Colorado Springs. The Tigers stand at 5-2-2. The game against SMU will mark Colorado’s first conference game as well. The Tigers currently hold their highest regional ranking this season in seven years, alternating between Nos. 6 and 7.
SMU will then travel to El Paso to take on the UTEP Miners on Sunday. The Miners stand at 6-4-2, and will begin conference play in the game against SMU.
The Mustangs face the challenge of opening conference play on the road, but are confident in their ability to win.
“This weekend is a big weekend for us,” said sophomore midfielder Jennifer Raad. “Not only are we starting conference, we are playing two of the hardest teams. In the past, both UTEP and Colorado College were intense games for us, but we are very confident and excited.”
Heading into their 22nd season in Division I rankings, the Mustangs have earned NCAA playoff bids in more than half of their appearances. The most recent of these recognitions occurred last season when SMU finished the season at 17-5-1 overall. The team was also ranked first in the conference for shutouts and second for points scored in C-USA statistics.
SMU most recently defeated Sam Houston State 4-0 last Friday.
Kick off for the Colorado College game is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday’s game against the UTEP Miners will begin at 2 p.m.
Catch the Mustangs next at home when they take on the Southern Miss Gold Eagles on Oct. 12, and the Knights from Central Florida on Oct. 14.
