Men's soccer shuts out UIW, awaits No. 17 VaTech

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VIDEO: SMU defender Brock Pope, midfielder Bailey Sparks and head coach Kevin Hudson met the media after the Mustangs shut down Incarnate Word, 2-0, without allowing a single shot.





From SMUMustangs.com:

SMU Shuts Out UIW For Third Non-Conference Win

DALLAS (SMU) — SMU won 2-0 over Incarnate Word for their third non-conference win of the season, Monday.

Niv Berkovitz and Bailey Sparks scored for the Mustangs while they held the Cardinals to zero shot attempts.

Berkovitz scored his first 2024 goal in his second appearance of the season to open the scoreline and Sparks sealed the match in the 80th minute from the penalty spot.

While Berkovitz made an impact in his second appearance, Brendan Baird and Fredrik Skilberg made their first appearances of the season.

The Mustangs are now on a two-match winning streak and improved their record to 4-1-2. They are 3-0-2 in non-conference play, including a win over No. 6 Saint Louis and a draw to ninth-ranked Denver earlier this season.

How It Happened
The Mustangs were able to implement their game of dominating offense as soon as the ball was kicked off. They attempted to pry the Cardinals' defense with linkup plays.

SMU recorded two shots before Berkovitz opened the scoreline in the 33rd minute. Nikola Djordjevic created the goal by beating two defenders on the right wing and served the ball to Berkovitz's right foot in the middle of the penalty box for a first-time shot to the back of the net. A season-first goal and assist for the respective players.

Kevin Hudson's squad controlled the match through the remainder of the first half, but the half ended 1-0 for the Mustangs.

The flow of the match remained on the Mustangs' favor through the second half. Sparks won the Mustangs a penalty kick in the 80th minute and scored the opportunity himself from the penalty spot. The Texas native has scored four penalty goals on four attempts this season.

The Mustangs kept control of the match to end to grab the 2-0 victory.

Other Notes
SMU's defense held the Cardinals to zero shot attempts. Conversely, the Mustangs made 17 shot attempts.
Sparks is tied as the national leader in penalty kicks made with four. He is four for four from the penalty spot.
Sparks improved his streak to seven consecutive matches with a goal contribution (four goals, three assists).
Martin Dominguez recorded his first career clean sheet in his second start for SMU.
SMU has won all five meetings against UIW. They have outscored the Cardinals 12-1 all-time.

Up Next
The Mustangs resume ACC play when they host No. 17 Virginia Tech at Washburne Stadium, Friday.