SMU Soccer advances to AAC Championship Final
Dallas (SMU) — With a 3-0 win over No. 4 seed Memphis, No. 2 SMU has secured its spot in the American Athletic Conference Championship Final. Unanimous All-AAC First Team selection Jelldrik Dallmann scored all three goals of the evening, earning his second hat trick on the year.
The Mustangs entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed and are the top-ranked team in the nation from Top Drawer Soccer.
In the 25th minute, AAC Rookie of the Year Niv Berkovitz passed the ball to Dallmann, who sailed the ball into the bottom left corner. This was followed with Dallmann’s second goal just six minutes into the second half. Berkovitz and the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, Mads Westergren assisted the Mustangs in their second goal of the night.
The final goal of the match came in the 60th minute. Senior Harvey Castro fed the ball to defender Kyran Chambron Pinho who crossed it into the box. Dallmann secured his hat trick with a header, getting the ball past Memphis’s (10-5-2, 4-4-0 AAC) JD Gunn.
“It’s definitely fun,” Dallmann said. “It’s good to show what I can do and help the team; it was a good feeling out there.”
This marks Dallmann’s second hat trick of the season, with the first being earned in SMU’s 5-0 win over Central Arkansas on Aug. 28. The hat trick also marks the second three goal performance earned in the AAC Championship Tournament, with the first taking place in 2013 in the inaugural match of the tournament.
“This is an opportunity to play for another trophy on Sunday,” head coach Kevin Hudson said. “It’s one game here at a time. As cliche as it is. How we played was appropriate for the night. There were a bunch of highlights tonight.”
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The Mustangs (13-1-2, 7-0-1 AAC) are currently undefeated at home in the 2023 season, boasting a 18-1-2 record at Washburne since the start of last season.
Senior goalkeeper Cole Johnson logged his eighth individual shutout of the season. He is now tied for fifth in the NCAA for most individual shutouts earned. The AAC goalkeeper of the year recorded two saves, securing the win for the Mustangs.
“I’m very blessed to be a part of a team that has the skill and the ability they do,” Johnson said. “I get credit with the shut out, the backline doesn’t, the sixes don’t. It’s really 10 defending and me. Having shutouts to my name is great but I’m very grateful for the people around me.”
SMU will face the No. 2 seeded Charlotte 49ers in the 2023 AAC Men’s Soccer Championship Final on Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be available for livestreaming on ESPN+ and updates can be found across the SMU men’s soccer social media accounts.
Editor’s Note: SMU press release.
