The SMU men’s soccer team defeated an under-matchedCentenary team 5-1 Saturday night.
The Ponies struggled to find the offense early in the game.SMU’s first goal didn’t come until the 31st minute whenRyan Latham found the back of the net. Latham made a run down thecenter of the field and David Chun snuck a pass past the Centenarydefenders leaving Latham one-on-one to goal.
However, a pesky Centenary team answered eight minutes laterwhen Alexander Smith’s shot from outside the box hit bothgoal posts and finally rolled in.
The first half ended in a tie, leaving some questions to beanswered in the Mustang locker room. Why would the Mustangsstruggle to put away a team without a single victory all year? TheGents came into Westcott Field with a record of 0-7-1.
Head coach Schellas Hyndman wasn’t concerned about theteam’s level of play.
“The only thing that was really a problem in the firsthalf was the structure at the back,” Hyndman said. “Ithought we missed some opportunities that could have given us thelead.”
In the second half, the Mustangs lived up to their No. 9national ranking. The Ponies pounded out four unanswered goals andshut down the Gents’ offense.
Freshman Dario Saintus scored the first two goals of hiscollegiate career. In the 63rd minute, Saintus followed up a flurryof Mustang shots and was rewarded with an open net. Saintusrecovered a loose ball around the 6-yard box for the easy tap-in.Fifteen minutes later Saintus followed up a Mustang shot on goaland was left to pick up the scraps for his second goal of theevening. Latham and Ramon Nunez rounded out the scoring for theevening.
By the time the Pony offense started moving, the shot count wasin their favor 19 to 12. After allowing the first half goal, theMustang defensive line tightened and forced the Gents offense outof its rhythm.
Eventually, the Mustangs put the game out of reach, and thebench was rewarded. Hyndman was able to work 18 different playersinto the line-up, many of whom who have seen limited action thisseason.
Junior defender Ross Spencer said the team can learn fromSaturday’s game.
“Sometimes when you see a team has a bad record, it ishard to really get motivated to play,” Spencer said.”As a team we have to learn to act like every game is thebiggest game of the year. I know this was Centenary’s biggestgame.”
The Ponies should have no problem getting motivated as MissouriValley Conference play is set to begin. The Mustangs look to defendthe MVC regular season title they have held for the past threeseasons. The Mustangs open MVC play Friday, Oct. 3 at Evansville,Ind.
