Who: at SMU When: Tuesday, September 12 Where: Dallas, Texas | Washburne Soccer and Track Stadium Time: 8:00 p.m. EST / 7:00 p.m. CST Live Stats | ESPN+

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The No. 19 UNC Greensboro (UNCG) men's soccer team hits the road for its second-straight game, to face Southern Methodist University.
 
This is the second time in program history that the two teams have met.
 
This is the best start in program history since 2004 when the Spartans went 4-0-1 to begin the season and 19-3-1 overall. In Head Coach Chris Rich's four years at the helm, this is the best start.  
 
CLIMBING HIGH

• UNCG earned its first United Soccer Coaches national ranking after starting the season 4-0. The Spartans are 19th in the nation, matching its highest ranking from last season.
• The squad also climbed to No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches South Regional poll.
• The Spartans are the highest non-ACC school ranked in the region.
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• Most recently, UNCG earned a No. 16 ranking from College Soccer News and appeared in the first time in the TopDrawerSoccer Poll ranking No. 15.
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AMONG THE NATIONAL RANKINGS

• 2nd in total assists (18)
• 2nd in total goals (19)
• 2nd in total points (56)
• 3rd in points per game (11.20)
• 3rd in scoring offense (3.80)
• 4th in assists per game (3.60)
• 4th in goal differential (14)
• 4th in shots on goal per game (9.00)
• 9th in won-lost-tied-percentage (0.900)
• 11th in shots per game (17.80)
• 22nd corner kicks per game (7.20)

LAST TIME OUT

• UNCG defeated played to a 2-2 draw against VCU on Saturday night.
• The Spartans outshot the Rams 21-10 and had seven corners to VCU's five.
• Marco Afonso and Izaiah Vignali scored the goals for UNCG.
• Basile Marc recorded an assist on Afonso's goal.

HAT TRICK = AWARDS

• Freshman Steven Hernandez scores his-first collegiate goal and first-collegiate hat trick in a 5-1 victory over Coastal Carolina on Friday, September 2 at UNCG Soccer Stadium.
• He is the first Spartan to score a hat trick since Theo Collomb's three goals against VMI on September 25, 2021 at home.
• Hernandez is the third Spartan under Head Coach Chris Rich to record a hat trick (Hernandez, Collomb, and Albert Pedra in a 3-1 win over ODU on November 2, 2019).
• Hernandez was named Southern Conference (SoCon) Offensive Player of the Week and was selected to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week.

SOCON PRESEASON POLL & AWARDS
UNCG was voted to take the title in the Southern Conference (SoCon) Preseason Coaches Poll after winning the 2021 Regular Season Title.
 
J.C. Ngando, Emmanuel Hagan, Marco Milanese, and Niclas Wild all earned Preseason All-Conference recognition.
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SCOUTING SMU

• SMU is entering the contest 4-1-0 and on a three-game winning streak.
• The Mustangs added 15 players this season.
• SMU started off the year taking down Oral Roberts 4-0 followed by a setback at Stanford.
• The Mustangs also shut out UCA and Saint Louis.
• They also took down preseason No. 10 Saint Louis 3-0.
• The Mustangs checks in at No. 16 in the TopDrawerSoccer poll and  No. 19 in the College Soccer News Poll.
• SMU's Knut Ahlander leads the team with six goals, while Jose Ortiz has five goals.
• Alexander Petraeus leads the Mustangs with five assists, while Henry Howell follows with three helpers.
• Cole Johnson has started in four games between the posts, playing in five with a 0.95 goals against average with 14 saves and giving up four goals.

ALL-TIME HISTORY

• SMU leads the series 1-0.
• The Mustangs defeated the Spartans 3-1 in 2005.
• The lone victory over the Spartans advanced the Mustangs to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.