Put on your guards, lace up the boots and head to the pitch.
Confused?
The men’s soccer team is back in action.
After a disappointing loss in the third round of the NCAAplayoffs, the Mustangs are once again geared to go the distance— thanks in part to a youth movement that head coach SchellasHyndman has showed complete faith in.
“We are going to play the younger guys so that they getexperience and learn how to play at this level,” said Hyndmanat the start of the 2002 season.
More than a year later the youngsters are full of experience andready to prove their worth.
Team captain Kevin Hudson is the lone senior on the roster.
“Kevin is the figure on and off the field that will leadthe team,” Hyndman said. “The team is full of youngtalent, great players and hard workers.”
Hyndman continues to pull in top-notch recruiting classes yearafter year. He has developed a soccer factory on the Hilltop. Asplayers graduate to the professional ranks, Hyndman brings in freshfeet. This year’s first-year class was ranked fourth incollegesoccernews.com pre-season polls. The recruits give thePonies plenty to look forward to as the season gets underway.
“This is the best class in my 19 years at SMU,”Hyndman said.
The Mustangs will be without Dallas native Kenny Cooper who iscurrently in negotiations with a European club.
“Losing Kenny has been disappointing. He was a big part ofthe recruiting class,” Hyndman said.
Hyndman said they found out about Cooper very late but they havemoved past the disappointment.
The Mustangs have plenty of returning starters looking toimprove on last season’s accomplishments. Juniors RossSpencer and Ugo Ihemelu anchor the defensive back-line. Bothplayers have seen consistent playing time and are reliable veteranswho will keep the Mustang back-line in stable condition.
Freshman Mynor Gonzalez brings Guatemalan national teamexperience to what could be one of the top defensive trios in thecountry.
Hudson will be in charge of holding the mid-field together. Heis joined by highly touted freshman recruit Ramon Nunez. Nunez wasranked the nation’s top recruit by Soccer America. TheMustangs will look for sophomore David Chun to constantly move fromoffensive to defensive duties in the middle and leave it up toHudson to distribute the ball around the field.
Look for sophomore Kelan Zindell to improve on an impressivefreshman campaign. Junior Ryan Latham and sophomore Duke Hashimotowill also share playing time up top. Hyndman says that the threeplayers will rotate in a two forward line up. The offense looks toimprove on its 2.4 goals per game average from last season.
Junior T.J. Tomasso begins his second full season as theMustang’s No. 1 goalie.
The Ponies open the season visiting Florida InternationalUniversity. The Ponies beat FIU 3-1 at Westcott Field in the secondround of last year’s national tournament.
The Mustangs first match on the Hilltop is at 7 p.m. Sept. 1against UT-Dallas.
