Sept. 24, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The undefeated Samford soccer team will begin play in its 2009 Southern Conference schedule Friday as the Bulldogs square off against the The Citadel Bulldogs at 3 p.m. (CDT), in Charleston, S.C. The SoCon opener for both teams will be held at The Citadel's Washington Light Infantry Field.

Samford (5-0-1) heads into the matchup as one of the hottest teams in the nation. The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five-match winning streak and have not allowed a goal all season. In six matches, Samford has outscored the opposition by a total of 9-0.

The Bulldogs' lone draw of the 2009 campaign was a scoreless tie with the 25th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Since then, Samford has rattled off consecutive victories against Alabama 3-0, Francis Marion 3-0, Texas State 1-0, Belmont 1-0 and Winthrop 1-0.

Senior Amber Cress and sophomore Sarah Wilkinson have been the Bulldogs' top scoring threats this season. Both players have tallied three goals this year, while Cress has also added a pair of assists.

A native of Zionsville, Ind., Cress has already scored 19 goals in her collegiate career and is currently tied for fourth place on Samford's all-time list. Former Bulldog-great Marian Wagner tops the list with 27 goals scored.

Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead will also look to continue her assault on the Samford record book Friday. The Bulldogs' 6-foot-3 native of Hattiesburg, Miss., has not allowed a goal this year and has already registered five complete-game shutouts. The all-time school record for shutouts in a season is 10, which was set by Crystal Royall during the 2003 campaign.

The Citadel (3-5) enters its SoCon opener with aspirations of snapping a two-match losing streak. Since earning a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 15, the Bulldogs have dropped consecutive matches versus Florida Gulf Coast 2-1 and North Florida 4-2.

At home this season, The Citadel owns a 1-1 record. The Bulldogs opened their 2009 campaign with a dominant 14-0 victory against Alabama State on Aug. 30, but then dropped a 2-1 decision versus Charleston Southern on Sept. 9. The Citadel has played each of its previous four matches on the road.

The Citadel Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a total of 23-14 this season. Amy Loughran and Nicole Martinoli have both notched five goals this year, while Nikki Mares has added four.

Friday's match will only be the second all-time meeting between Samford and The Citadel. Last season, the teams met for the first time in history and Samford earned a 4-0 victory at Bulldog Field.