Men's soccer eliminated by No. 10 Akron

by **PonyPride** » Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:38 pm

From SMUMustangs.com:

Mustangs Eliminated By No. 10 Akron, 3-2
SMU finishes the season 13-7-1

Nov. 20, 2011

DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU men's soccer team was defeated, 3-2, by No. 10 Akron in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday night at Westcott Field. Redshirt freshman Tyler Engel and senior Arthur Ivo scored for the Mustangs. SMU finishes the season with a 13-7-1 record.

Akron opened the scoring with a goal from leading scorer Darren Mattocks in the 22nd minute when he headed in a cross from DeAndre Yedlin. The Zips made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute when Luke Holmes scored on a free kick from 28 yards out. Mattocks added another goal in the 76th minute when he slipped the ball inside of the far post for a 3-0 Akron lead.

Engel put the Mustangs on the board with his goal in the 83rd minute. The ball was headed on to him and Engel tucked the ball inside of the right post from four yards out. The goal was Engel's fourth of the season.

Thirty-four seconds later, Engel was maneuvering through the box when he was taken down by an Akron defender, giving SMU a penalty kick. Ivo converted the opportunity, netting his team-leading 10th goal of the year. The senior finished the season with a team-high 30 points (10 goals, 10 assists) on the season. He finishes his career with 68 points in 71 career games.

SMU pressed and had several chances late, but the Mustangs were unable to complete the comeback.

by **HorsePower** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:24 am

Some observations from the game:

-- Akron is a fantastic team. I know they didn't finish the year ranked #1 or anything, but it's obvious why they're ranked in the top 10. That team is LOADED.

-- Akron is very athletic and exceptionally fast. That doesn't make them better soccer players, but it sure doesn't hurt. Some things can be countered with schematic adjustments, like double-teaming a stud pass rusher, denying the ball to a great shooter in basketball or intentionally walking a great hitter. But this team was flying all over the field.

-- Ben Hill is pretty good. Earlier in the year, he got spot duty when Juan Castillo got a rest, but it's time to give this guy his due. He's really strong and created some space in the offensive end because he couldn't be pushed around. He'll play more next year, and deservedly so.

-- Our defense played pretty well. Their offense played better.
The first goal (by #10 - Maddux?) was great, a diving header on a cross from the other side of the field, bouncing the shot into the lower left corner.
The second goal, by the bald kid (I think his name is Holmes) was better, a free kick that he absolutely crushed through a gap in the line. Maybe Ibarra was screened or something, but it looked like he never saw it, or maybe it was such a hard shot that he didn't have time to react. Shot could have been 20 yards longer and would have gone in.
The third goal might be the best goal I ever have seen in person: Maddux chased down a loose ball, shook off an SMU defender who was trying to tackle him (football tackle, that is) and kept his head enough to turn and somehow get a shot in under the crossbar from a very tough angle. No idea how that thing went in.

-- Maddux got two goals, so he'll be viewed as the man of the match, but I really liked that bald kid (Holmes). He held possession all day in the midfield, and it seemed like he had the ball on a string. For a while, it looked like our guys were flailing at the ball, and he was the reason why. He seemed like the point guard who makes that team go.

Akron was the better team tonight and deserved to win. When we were down 3-0, I didn't think they were three goals better, but it also felt more convincing than the 1-goal margin on the scoreboard. Maybe 3-1 would have been appropriate.

by **PonyPride** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:25 am

Akron coach, players

SMU coach Tim McClements, midfielder Arthur Ivo, defender Adam Still

by **smupony94** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 9:30 am

Great season guys

by **DanFreibergerForHeisman** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 10:16 am

Very good insights HosrePower.

Going into the game I was fairly confident because a look at the Akron stats showed Mattocks with 19 goals in 20 games. I figured our defense was good enough to take him out of the game. Seems pretty naive now. That guy is incredible. It's tough to mark a guy out of a game when he is two steps faster than anybody on your team and also has ridiculous skills. He was fantastic on the ball and both of his goals were just stunning.

They just had too much speed all over the field. Every time we got the ball somebody was on us. It still wasn't a 3-0 domination by any means though. SMU did adjust to the speed for periods and generated quite a few nice chances. Derschang had a nice chance that forced the Akron keeper to tip it over the bar. Barnes had a couple of great chances. Castillo also had that golden chance right at the end of the first half.

It's hard to complain about any of their goals, although you definitely shouldn't let a free kick go in untouched from 30. It looked like it also had the perfect spin to get the perfect skip off the wet grass as well which sped it up just enough to elude Ibarra. Once again, it was probably a once in a lifetime kick.

Even giving up three goals Ibarra had a nice game. Akron was peppering him all night long and he also had the huge point blank save on the Mattocks breakaway right at the end to keep SMU hopes alive.

We also had our standard free kick opportunities for Ivo. One was so close to going in at the far post with some help from Hill. Unfortunately, Ivo airmailed his other good free kick opportunity.

It was great to see the fight in the Mustangs at the end though. Those last ten minutes were some of the best soccer anybody could ever hope to see.

by **EastStang** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 12:36 pm

You've got six seniors including d'Almeda, Ivo, Kalis and Cooper graduating. Some good younger players coming along, but those are some key players from this year.

by **DanFreibergerForHeisman** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 1:03 pm

EastStang wrote:You've got six seniors including d'Almeda, Ivo, Kalis and Cooper graduating. Some good younger players coming along, but those are some key players from this year.

Adam Still as well - so we will have to replace three of our starting back four.

Next year will be a challenge since we are losing such a strong senior class. This is two years in a row we have lost a great senior class.

We have a thin senior class next season (really just Nelson and Hill), so it will be up to the Derschang/Barnes/Castillo class to step it up in the leadership category.

by **redpony** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 1:47 pm

Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought our recruiting class two seasons ago was in the top 7 and I remember last year all of the info saying that our recruits were regional players of the year (or something similar). I know we lose some good experienced players but I would think the younger players should be able to step up and do the job.

Our tourney pairing this year stunk but that is the luck of the draw. I watched the first half of the game (via internet) and was a little disappointed at our passing and overall attack. We just didn't look like we were quite ready to play. Maybe next year we will have a better draw.

GO PONIES!!!

by **NickSMU17** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:10 pm

Why don't we hire the akron coach away....?

Akron should be good at no sports, let alone dominating soccer....

Same thing we did with golf...

by **RGV Pony** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:16 pm

Should be easier than it was w golf too. Augusta at least a nicer place to live vs akron

by **DanFreibergerForHeisman** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:30 pm

redpony wrote:Please correct me if I am wrong but I thought our recruiting class two seasons ago was in the top 7 and I remember last year all of the info saying that our recruits were regional players of the year (or something similar). I know we lose some good experienced players but I would think the younger players should be able to step up and do the job.

Our tourney pairing this year stunk but that is the luck of the draw. I watched the first half of the game (via internet) and was a little disappointed at our passing and overall attack. We just didn't look like we were quite ready to play. Maybe next year we will have a better draw.

GO PONIES!!!

Agree. The Derschang/Castillo/Barnes class really needs to step up next year. They aren't "young" players anymore.

The back four should be fine. Simmons is solid, Kumeh looked really good early this season when he was getting minutes, and we have a defensive commit who is ranked 33 nationally and is currently playing for the US U17 National Team.

Good teams will lose good players. You can't use that as an excuse if you are going to be a top team.

We did get a crap draw - but that's life. We had our shot at them on our home field and didn't take advantage of the situation. Unfortunate.

by **redpony** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 3:07 pm

Akron's coach is Caleb Porter.
Not much chance of recruiting him even if SO wanted to. Here is some info from their web-site.

GO PONIES!!!

In five years, Caleb Porter, the NCAA's winningest active coach, has orchestrated a transformation at The University of Akron that has seen the Zips become the standard for all college soccer programs, culminating with the school's first team national championship in any sport in 2010.

Porter, who owns a career mark of 90-13-10 (.841) since becoming the sixth head coach in Akron history in 2006, has incorporated a brand of play that is attractive and attack-oriented, yet effective on both sides of the ball. While defensive efficiency has been the hallmark of Porter's teams at UA - the Zips have led the nation in goals-against-average in two of the last three seasons Â- it has been this balanced and dominant style of soccer that has elevated the program to its lofty status.

In fact, over the past two seasons, Akron is the only program in the nation to finish the year ranked in the top five for both scoring offense and goals-against-average. The Zips were the second-highest scoring team in the country in 2009 (2.35 goals/game) and were third in 2010 (2.56) despite scoring six more goals during their national championship campaign.

This rare and dangerous combination has spurred UA, which has lost just once during the regular run of play over its last 50 matches. During that time, the Zips have posted an overall mark of 45-2-3 while becoming the first school to advance to the national championship game in back-to-back seasons since Indiana accomplished the feat in 2003 and 2004.

For his efforts, Porter was rewarded with a 10-year contract extension last December that will keep him as the Zips' head coach through the 2020 season.

by **NickSMU17** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 3:07 pm

Either way, its still akron...

it sucks..

by **GiddyUp** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:00 pm

Contracts can be broken.

They had better players at almost every position. Their kids were more aggressive, better passers, better positioning, better ball handling. Their wings were flying down the field. Their defense was double teaming every chance they could get.

Our #17 is slow as can be, didn't have a chance with that matchup.

by **Dutch** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 11:14 pm

that sucks. damn.