Samford Downs ETSU to Advance to Title Match

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – Samford’s Katie Danehy headed home a Jermaine Seoposenwe corner kick with 5:59 left as No. 1 seed and regular-season champion Samford survived the upset bid from No. 4 seed ETSU in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Women’s Soccer Championship at Western Carolina’s Catamount Athletic Complex on Friday, 2-1.

The lead was Samford’s first of the day and advanced the Bulldogs (14-7-0) to the title match to face either No. 2 seed Furman or No. 3 Mercer. Furman and Mercer will face each other in Friday’s second semifinal match, set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Catamount Athletic Complex and air live on the SoCon Digital Network. The title match will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. and will air live on ESPN3.

The title-match appearance will be Samford’s first since 2011, when it won its lone league title, and third overall.

ETSU (13-8-0) led for most of the opening half, as All-Southern Conference pick Hannah Short netted her NCAA-best 27th goal in the seventh minute, heading in a long spot kick from fellow all-conference performer Jasmin Dutton for the 1-0 advantage.

That’s where the score would stay for the remainder of the opening frame, but Samford’s Amanda Abbott found the equalizer in the 62nd minute, converting a Seoposenwe pass for her 10th goal of the season to make it a 1-1 affair.

In the 71st minute, Seoposenwe nearly put Samford ahead, but her rocket from 25 yards out hit the crossbar and went out of play.

Dutton had a golden opportunity for the Bucs just minutes later, as her free kick after Sarah Zadrazil was taken down just outside the box was tipped over the crossbar by Bulldog keeper Anna Maddox. ETSU’s ensuing corner kick came up empty as the score remained tied.

In the 84th minute, Zadrazil – another All-SoCon selection – put a shot on frame that ETSU Anna Yancey saved out of bounds, setting up Seoposenwe’s corner. An all-conference performer in her own right, Seoposenwe found Danehy in traffic for her second assist of the match, as Danehy punched in her fourth goal of the season to send Samford through to the title game.

Maddox, a second-team All-SoCon pick and all-freshman selection at keeper, finished with five saves on the evening to pick up the win, while Yancey had four saves in the losing effort.

2014 SoCon Women’s Soccer Championship

Oct. 29 (Wednesday)
First round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 9 The Citadel 3, No. 8 VMI 0
Match 2: No. 7 Wofford 5, No. 10 Chattanooga 0

Nov. 1 (Saturday)
Quarterfinal round (at higher seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 Samford 6, No. 9 The Citadel 0

Nov. 2 (Sunday)
Quarterfinal round (at higher seeds)
Match 4: No. 4 ETSU 3, No. 5 UNCG 2 (OT)
Match 5: No. 2 Furman 3, No. 7 Wofford 2
Match 6: No. 3 Mercer 2, No. 6 Western Carolina 1

Nov. 7 (Friday)
Semifinals (Catamount Athletic Complex; Cullowhee, N.C.)
Match 7: No. 1 Samford 2, No. 4 ETSU 1
Match 8: No. 2 Furman vs. No. 3 Mercer, 7:30 p.m. (SoCon Digital Network)

Nov. 9 (Sunday)
Final (Catamount Athletic Complex; Cullowhee, N.C.)
Match 9: No. 1 Samford vs. Winner Match 8, 1 p.m. (ESPN3)

All times Eastern.