Samford Advances in SoCon Championship

No. 1 Samford 6, No. 9 The Citadel 0

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University soccer team registered its most dominant Southern Conference tournament victory in school history Saturday as the Bulldogs received goals from six different players en route to a 6-0 triumph over The Citadel Bulldogs in a quarterfinal-round matchup held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.

With Saturday’s victory, Samford (13-7) advanced to the semifinal round of the 2014 SoCon Championship, which will be held at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. The Bulldogs’ match time is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. (CDT), but their opponent has yet to be determined.

Fourth-seeded ETSU and fifth-seeded UNCG were scheduled to play at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, but the match was postponed due to wintry conditions in the area. The teams are schedule to square off Sunday at 3 p.m.

In Samford’s seven years in the SoCon, the Bulldogs have reached at least the semifinal round of the SoCon tournament in all seven seasons.

All six of Samford’s goals Saturday were scored by different players. Sophomore Anna Allen tallied the game-winning score at exactly 15 minutes into the first half, while the remaining five goals occurred in the final stanza.

Allen’s score proved to be her first of the season and was assisted by sophomore Jermaine Seoposenwe. Both Seoposenwe and Taylor Borman registered a pair of helpers against The Citadel (7-14).

Seoposenwe leads the team with 11 assists this season. She also scored her eighth goal of 2014 on a penalty kick in the second half and now boasts a team-high 27 points. Seoposenwe tied Samford’s all-time single-season record in points Saturday. She is now tied with former Bulldog great Marian Wagner, who set the mark in 2002.

Additionally, Seoposenwe is just one assist shy of tying Rebecca Bohler’s single-season record of 12 assists, which was set in 2005.

Samford scored five goals in the second half alone Saturday. Senior Katie Danehy broke the ice early in the final frame with a score at 47:30, while Seoposenwe, Heather Lacy, Kinsey Sessions and Sara Smeltzer all added key goals in the SoCon tournament victory.

The Bulldogs outshot The Citadel, 25-7, and registered a 14-0 margin in corner kicks.

Samford’s defense continued to play lights out and limited the Cadets’ high-powered offensive attack to only four shots on goal. The Bulldogs’ true freshman goalkeeper, Anna Maddox, tallied four key saves en route to the team’s seventh shutout of the season. Maddox owns a stellar 13-7 record in goal and a brilliant 1.22 goals-against average this year.

Samford extended its winning streak to four consecutive matches and has now been victorious in seven of its last eight outings.

The SoCon regular-season champion Bulldogs will continue their quest for the 2014 SoCon tournament title Friday at 4 p.m. (CST) as they will square off against either the No. 4-seed ETSU or the fifth-seeded UNCG in Cullowhee, N.C.

 

No. 5 UNCG at No. 4 ETSU, postponed

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Due to inclement weather, ETSU's SoCon Championship quarterfinal match versus UNCG has been postponed to Sunday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m.

Originally scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1, at 5:30 p.m., the match between the fifth-seeded Spartans and fourth-seeded Bucs will still take place inside ETSU's Summers-Taylor Stadium.