SMU Soccer Loses To Ohio State

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TULSA, Okla. (SMU) – The SMU men’s soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision on a second half goal to Ohio State on Sunday at Hurricane Field. With the victory, the Buckeyes move back to even on the season with a 2-2 record, while the Mustangs fall to 0-4.

“We played well and it reflected in our opportunities,” Head Coach Tim McClements said. “We’re getting closer to where we want to be and we just have to be able to put together a full 90 minutes.”

The majority of the offense came in the second half, as the two teams only registered a combined three shots in the first frame. In the second half, SMU took over on offense and outshot OSU, by an 8-1 margin. Despite the advantage in shots, the Buckeye’s goal came in the 76th minute as senior forward Denio Leone connected on his first goal of the season.

“Our offensive opportunities are coming from a lot of different players and we will turn it around if we continue to have the confidence and keep doing what we are doing offensively,” McClements added.

Senior Juan Castillo and sophomore Alfred Koroma each had a pair of shots on goal to lead the Mustangs, and sophomores John Lujano and Brenden Lee each added a shot on frame.

“If we stay true to the course we will find success,” McClements said. “Our guys just need to focus on what we instill in them and stay confident and the results will come.”

SMU is back in action on Friday when it hosts the first of two games at the Jason’s Deli SMU Invitational. The Mustangs square off with Hartwick at 7:30 p.m., and close with a match against UMKC at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Live stats and video for both matches can be found at http://www.smumustangs.com/. For tickets visit http://www.smumustangs.com/tickets/.