Oct. 28, 2009

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University soccer team will compete in its final match of the 2009 regular season Thursday as the Bulldogs travel northeast to Chattanooga, Tenn., for a Southern Conference contest against the Chattanooga Lady Mocs. With a win or draw in the 5 p.m. (CDT) matchup, Samford would qualify for the prestigious four-team SoCon Tournament.

Samford (11-1-4, 6-1-3 SoCon) heads into Thursday's regular-season finale sitting in a tie for third place in the SoCon standings. The Bulldogs have compiled 21 points in conference play this season and are deadlocked for third place with the College of Charleston.

With a win against Chattanooga (7-7-1, 2-7-1 SoCon), Samford could finish as high as second place in the final SoCon standings. With a loss, the Bulldogs could wind up in fifth place and fall short of qualifying for the postseason tournament. In the event of a draw, Samford would either place third or fourth in the final standings, depending on whether Elon could defeat or tie first-place UNC Greensboro.

The Bulldogs are in the midst of an eight-match undefeated streak. Since suffering a hard-fought 1-0 loss at College of Charleston on Sept. 27, Samford has rattled off victories against Appalachian State 4-0, Furman 2-1, UNC Greensboro 2-1, Elon 1-0 and Georgia Southern 5-0. During the stretch, the Bulldogs have compiled a 5-0-3 record and have outscored their opponents by a count of 16-4.

Samford has only allowed a total of five goals this season and is currently ranked first in the nation in save percentage (.925).

The Bulldogs' sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead anchors the team's defense that is also ranked second in the nation in goals-against average (0.3). Individually, Whitehead is ranked third in the country in both goals-against average and save percentage. Samford's 6-foot-3 native of Hattiesburg, Miss., has only allowed five goals this season on 144 shots faced.

Senior Amber Cress leads the Bulldogs' offensive attack with seven goals. The Bulldogs' speedy forward from Zionsville, Ind., also leads the team with nine assists and 23 points.

Chattanooga enters Thursday's match as the 11th-place team in the conference standings. In their most recent outing, the Lady Mocs snapped a five-match losing by defeating Georgia Southern 1-0 in overtime. In the win, Chattanooga's Donna-Kay Henry tallied her ninth goal of the season during the fifth minute of the extra period.

The Lady Mocs were able to defeat Georgia Southern on Sunday despite playing the final 50 minutes with only 10 competitors. During the 43rd minute of play, Chattanooga's Serena Allen was red-carded by the head official. The hard-fought match also featured three yellow cards and 27 fouls.

Becca Smith, the Lady Mocs' explosive freshman from Murfreesboro, Tenn., has already scored a SoCon-leading 11 goals this season. Smith currently leads the conference in six offensive categories, while her teammate Henry is tied for second in goals with nine.

Samford owns a 3-1 all-time record against Chattanooga. The Bulldogs have been victorious in the previous two meetings between the teams, including a 4-2 triumph last season in Birmingham, Ala.

The Lady Mocs' lone win in the series occurred Sept. 21, 1999, as they posted a 2-0 victory in Chattanooga, Tenn. The series started on Sept. 29, 1998, as Samford earned a thrilling 3-2 overtime triumph at Bulldog Field.

Live Stats - Samford at Chattanooga