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Samford wins 2021 SoCon Women's Soccer Championship
Bulldogs down Furman 4-2 to win fourth SoCon title and second in three seasons
BIRMINGHAM, ALA. – The top-seeded Samford Bulldogs won their fourth Southern Conference Championship and second in three seasons with a 4-2 win over No. 2 seed Furman on Sunday afternoon at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium in Birmingham, Alabama.
The six goals scored between the two teams is the most combined goals in a SoCon championship final since 1997, when top-seeded UNCG scored nine in a 9-0 win over No. 2 Wofford. Samford’s four goals also marks the most goals scored by a single team in a championship final since the same contest.
It didn’t take long to break the scoreless tie as Mary Raymond, a second-team all-conference midfielder, put the Bulldogs on the board first, scoring on a header just 6:10 into the contest. Raymond’s header came off a corner kick from Alyssa Frazier, a first-team all-conference midfielder, who sent the ball flying into the box and earned the assist.
Samford had another shot on goal in the 18th minute, narrowly missing a chance to double the score. Frazier took a free kick for the Bulldogs and Kylie Gazza, the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, got her right foot on the ball and was able to fire off a shot, but a dive by Furman goalkeeper Addison Corn erased the scoring opportunity.
Furman’s first shot of the contest came in the 26th minute and the Paladins made the most of it, knotting the score. Hannah Farr scored on a header from Lauren Hearn, who sent the ball into the box on a corner kick. Farr crashed into the box and tallied her fourth goal of the season, sneaking the ball past second-team all-conference goalkeeper Morgan McAslan.
Ten minutes later, the Paladins took the lead on a goal from first-team all-conference forward Jasmine Greene. After a goal kick from Corn, Furman controlled the ball at the midfield as Nieva Gaither, the SoCon Player of the Year, passed the ball to Greene who sprinted towards the goal, creating a one-on-one opportunity with McAslan before firing off a shot from close range, eerily similar to the goal that won the 2020-21 title for Furman on the very same field in the spring. The ball clipped McAslan but rolled into the back of the net to give Furman a 2-1 lead, which held until the half.
The Furman lead wouldn’t hold for long as Raymond netted her second goal of the contest just 52 seconds into the second half off a cross from Taylor Yount right in the middle of the pitch from about 12 yards out.
Both teams continued to press offensively. Gaither took a shot off her left foot from just outside the 18-yard box a minute and a half later, which was corralled by McAslan, before Raymond followed with a shot from about 15 yards out on Samford’s next possession that was saved by Corn.
In the 57th minute of play, Samford took a 3-2 lead. The Bulldog goal, headed in by Ella Simpson, again came off a corner kick from Frazier, who picked up her second assist of the contest.
Samford tacked on an insurance goal in the 63rd minute. After a Furman foul, Frazier was granted a penalty kick. Her initial shot was saved by Corn, but the senior from Towanda, Illinois, collected the rebound and scored to push the lead to 4-2.
The 4-2 score held for the final 27 minutes of play as Samford held on to hoist the championship trophy, scoring four goals on the Paladins for the second time in the 2021 campaign after a 4-0 regular-season win on Oct. 10.
Samford is the first SoCon team to go undefeated in regular season conference play and win the tournament title in the same season since the Bulldogs did it in 2011 (9-0-2), though the 2021 squad is the first Bulldog team to make a perfect run through conference play and win the championship.
McAslan, a senior, tallied five saves in the win while Corn, a sophomore, tallied seven saves in the loss.
Samford outshot Furman 15-12 and the Bulldogs edged the Paladins 6-5 in corner kicks.
The Bulldogs (15-3-2), who earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, will find out where they play next during the NCAA Selection show, which airs on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m. ET.
2021 SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Mel Mikoy, The Citadel
Taylor Limprevil, ETSU
Camryn Bolick, Furman
Hannah Farr, Furman
Faith Hauberg, Furman
Jordyn Ebert, Mercer
Payton Schurr, Mercer
Ashley Avelino, UNCG
Morgan McAslan, Samford
Ellia Simpson, Samford
Mary Raymond, Samford
Kylie Gazza, Samford
Maggie Shaw, Chattanooga
Whitney Edwards-Roberson, VMI
Kaitlyn Galbraith, Western Carolina
Abbie Wise, Western Carolina
Abigail McKenzie, Wofford
Most Outstanding Player
Mary Raymond, Samford
Pinnacle Award (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)
Alyssa Frazier, Samford
2021 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 26
First Round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 8 Chattanooga 1, No. 9 Wofford 1 (2OT, UTC 5-3 PKs)
Match 2: No. 7 The Citadel 4, No. 10 VMI 1
Friday, Oct. 29
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 Samford 2, No. 8 Chattanooga 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 4: No. 5 Mercer 2, No. 4 ETSU 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 5: No. 2 Furman 2, No. 7 The Citadel 1 (OT) (Greenville, S.C.)
Match 6: No. 3 Western Carolina 1, No. 6 UNCG 0 (Greenville, S.C.)
Sunday, Oct. 31
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: No. 1 Samford 1, No. 5 Mercer 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 8: No. 2 Furman 1, No. 3 Western Carolina 0 (Greenville, S.C.)
Sunday, Nov. 7
Final (Samford – Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 9: No. 1 Samford 4, No. 2 Furman 2
The six goals scored between the two teams is the most combined goals in a SoCon championship final since 1997, when top-seeded UNCG scored nine in a 9-0 win over No. 2 Wofford. Samford’s four goals also marks the most goals scored by a single team in a championship final since the same contest.
It didn’t take long to break the scoreless tie as Mary Raymond, a second-team all-conference midfielder, put the Bulldogs on the board first, scoring on a header just 6:10 into the contest. Raymond’s header came off a corner kick from Alyssa Frazier, a first-team all-conference midfielder, who sent the ball flying into the box and earned the assist.
Samford had another shot on goal in the 18th minute, narrowly missing a chance to double the score. Frazier took a free kick for the Bulldogs and Kylie Gazza, the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, got her right foot on the ball and was able to fire off a shot, but a dive by Furman goalkeeper Addison Corn erased the scoring opportunity.
Furman’s first shot of the contest came in the 26th minute and the Paladins made the most of it, knotting the score. Hannah Farr scored on a header from Lauren Hearn, who sent the ball into the box on a corner kick. Farr crashed into the box and tallied her fourth goal of the season, sneaking the ball past second-team all-conference goalkeeper Morgan McAslan.
Ten minutes later, the Paladins took the lead on a goal from first-team all-conference forward Jasmine Greene. After a goal kick from Corn, Furman controlled the ball at the midfield as Nieva Gaither, the SoCon Player of the Year, passed the ball to Greene who sprinted towards the goal, creating a one-on-one opportunity with McAslan before firing off a shot from close range, eerily similar to the goal that won the 2020-21 title for Furman on the very same field in the spring. The ball clipped McAslan but rolled into the back of the net to give Furman a 2-1 lead, which held until the half.
The Furman lead wouldn’t hold for long as Raymond netted her second goal of the contest just 52 seconds into the second half off a cross from Taylor Yount right in the middle of the pitch from about 12 yards out.
Both teams continued to press offensively. Gaither took a shot off her left foot from just outside the 18-yard box a minute and a half later, which was corralled by McAslan, before Raymond followed with a shot from about 15 yards out on Samford’s next possession that was saved by Corn.
In the 57th minute of play, Samford took a 3-2 lead. The Bulldog goal, headed in by Ella Simpson, again came off a corner kick from Frazier, who picked up her second assist of the contest.
Samford tacked on an insurance goal in the 63rd minute. After a Furman foul, Frazier was granted a penalty kick. Her initial shot was saved by Corn, but the senior from Towanda, Illinois, collected the rebound and scored to push the lead to 4-2.
The 4-2 score held for the final 27 minutes of play as Samford held on to hoist the championship trophy, scoring four goals on the Paladins for the second time in the 2021 campaign after a 4-0 regular-season win on Oct. 10.
Samford is the first SoCon team to go undefeated in regular season conference play and win the tournament title in the same season since the Bulldogs did it in 2011 (9-0-2), though the 2021 squad is the first Bulldog team to make a perfect run through conference play and win the championship.
McAslan, a senior, tallied five saves in the win while Corn, a sophomore, tallied seven saves in the loss.
Samford outshot Furman 15-12 and the Bulldogs edged the Paladins 6-5 in corner kicks.
The Bulldogs (15-3-2), who earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, will find out where they play next during the NCAA Selection show, which airs on NCAA.com on Monday, Nov. 8, at 4:30 p.m. ET.
2021 SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team
Mel Mikoy, The Citadel
Taylor Limprevil, ETSU
Camryn Bolick, Furman
Hannah Farr, Furman
Faith Hauberg, Furman
Jordyn Ebert, Mercer
Payton Schurr, Mercer
Ashley Avelino, UNCG
Morgan McAslan, Samford
Ellia Simpson, Samford
Mary Raymond, Samford
Kylie Gazza, Samford
Maggie Shaw, Chattanooga
Whitney Edwards-Roberson, VMI
Kaitlyn Galbraith, Western Carolina
Abbie Wise, Western Carolina
Abigail McKenzie, Wofford
Most Outstanding Player
Mary Raymond, Samford
Pinnacle Award (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)
Alyssa Frazier, Samford
2021 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 26
First Round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 8 Chattanooga 1, No. 9 Wofford 1 (2OT, UTC 5-3 PKs)
Match 2: No. 7 The Citadel 4, No. 10 VMI 1
Friday, Oct. 29
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 Samford 2, No. 8 Chattanooga 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 4: No. 5 Mercer 2, No. 4 ETSU 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 5: No. 2 Furman 2, No. 7 The Citadel 1 (OT) (Greenville, S.C.)
Match 6: No. 3 Western Carolina 1, No. 6 UNCG 0 (Greenville, S.C.)
Sunday, Oct. 31
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: No. 1 Samford 1, No. 5 Mercer 0 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 8: No. 2 Furman 1, No. 3 Western Carolina 0 (Greenville, S.C.)
Sunday, Nov. 7
Final (Samford – Birmingham, Ala.)
Match 9: No. 1 Samford 4, No. 2 Furman 2
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