SMU men’s soccer executed its game plan smoothly, knocking off Virginia 1-0 on Sunday to claim the school’s first ACC championship.
The Mustangs (10-4-4), seeded seventh in the ACC men’s soccer tournament, capitalized on a strong second half to take down top-seeded Virginia (12-2-4) at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Eleven minutes into the second half, Stephan Soghomonian converted a penalty kick to give SMU the lead.
SMU’s scoring opportunity came when Soghomonian was fouled in the 18-yard box by Virginia’s Parker Sloan. Officials needed a brief review before confirming Sloan made contact with Soghomonian’s right foot as he attempted to take a shot on goal.
Soghomonian made the most of the ensuing penalty kick, sending his shot low past the outstretched right hand of Virginia goalkeeper Casper Mols.
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After its goal, SMU maintained its defensive focus and made it difficult for Virginia to get through its back line. Virginia mustered six shot attempts throughout the match, but couldn’t come up with anything to challenge SMU goalkeeper Martin Dominguez.
Led by head coach Kevin Hudson, SMU finished the regular season at 7-4-4. That finish meant the Mustangs would enter the conference tournament as the seventh seed. The Mustangs hit their stride in Cary, N.C., defeating Wake Forest, Stanford and Syracuse to reach the championship match.
With the championship win, SMU secured an automatic bid to this year’s NCAA men’s soccer tournament. The NCAA will host a selection show at noon Monday, where the Mustangs will learn their opponents as they shift focus toward the national tournament.