BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Coming off of their third NCAA Tournament appearance in seven seasons, expectations are once again high for the Samford University soccer team as the Bulldogs head into the 2012 campaign. Samford enters the season boasting a roster comprised of eight returning starters and six additional returning letterwinners from a team that finished with a 14-6-2 overall record in 2011.
 
The Bulldogs also registered a school-record 9-0-2 mark in Southern Conference play and swept both the conference's regular-season title and SoCon Tournament championship.

Every season, Head Coach Todd Yelton's goal is to win the conference, earn the SoCon Tournament title and to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Since taking the reins of the Samford soccer program in 2002, he has propelled the Bulldogs to national prominence in 10 years at the team's helm. The winningest coach in Samford soccer history, Yelton has led his team to five regular-season conference titles, three NCAA Tournament appearances and a pair of conference tournament championships.
 
With one of the top coaching staffs in the nation, as well as a load of returning talent, the 2012 Samford Bulldogs are poised to defend their SoCon championship and earn another spot in the prestigious NCAA Tournament.          
               
GOALKEEPERS
 
Samford will be breaking in a new goalkeeper for the first time in four years this season after the graduation of All-SoCon First-Team member Alyssa Whitehead. Whitehead, who was arguably the greatest player in Bulldog history, is currently playing professionally in Sweden and is the Bulldogs' all-time record-holder in career shutouts. Whitehead also registered a season-high 120 saves in 2011. Samford's 6-foot-3 goalkeeper started in 50-consecutive matches to close out her four-year career and accumulated a school-record 32 shutouts, including six last year.
 
Whitehead shattered the previous career record of 24.5 shutouts during her junior season and received Second-Team All-SoCon accolades in 2010. During her well-documented career at Samford, she was recognized by the SoCon in each of her four seasons and garnered NSCAA All-Southeast Regional honors as a sophomore after she finished the year with the best goals-against average in the nation.
As a Bulldog, Whitehead helped lead her team to a pair of NCAA Tournaments and the first undefeated conference season in school history.
 
Even with Whitehead's departure, Samford will still boast a trio of excellent up-and-coming goalkeepers in 2012, each of which would be able to step right in and thrive in goal for the Bulldogs.
 
The three goalkeepers that will compete for the starting position this fall are sophomores Julia Wright (Ridgeland, Miss.) and Melissa Montgomery (Georgetown, Texas), as well as incoming freshman Jessica Perry (Webster Groves, Mo.).
 
Wright heads into the 2012 season as the only of the aforementioned players with any collegiate game experience. Last year, she served as Whitehead's backup and logged 9:10 minutes of playing time in a SoCon win against Wofford. Wright earned a shared shutout with Whitehead and tallied a pair of saves en route to earning the 3-0 victory.
 
Montgomery, who will also be a sophomore this season, didn't see any playing time throughout the 2011 campaign, but garnered tremendous experience as a backup goalkeeper to Whitehead and Wright.
 
The youngest member of this season's goalkeeping corps will be true freshman Jessica Perry (Webster Groves, Mo.). The 5-foot-10 prep star came to Samford after being named one of the Best 11 Players at the prestigious USYSA National Tournament held in Phoenix, Ariz., last season. Perry led her Kolping FC club team to the National League championship of the Blue Division and to Missouri State Cup titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011. She attended Webster Groves High School and was named first-team all-conference in both 2010 and 2011.
 
With three outstanding young prospects at the position, Assistant Coaches Jay Yelton and Andy Stoots will have plenty of talent to mold into the next all-conference goalkeeper at Samford University to follow in the tradition Crystal Royall, Cayley Winters and Whitehead. Yelton and Stoots are both outstanding goalkeeper specialists and are widely regarded as two of the best in the Southeast.
 
DEFENDERS

The Bulldogs return five gifted members of its defensive squad which finished the 2011 season ranked first in the SoCon in fewest goals allowed (0.86), goals-against average (0.82) and shutouts (9). Samford is stacked with talent on its back line and the group will be highlighted by the play of All-SoCon First-Team member Sabbath McKiernan-Allen (Indianapolis, Ind.).
 
McKiernan-Allen, who will be a senior this season, started in all 22 of the Bulldogs' matches throughout the 2011 campaign and logged a team-best and career-high total of 2,071 minutes of playing time. A relentless worker and a key cog in Samford's defense, she was only subbed out of a match once over the course of the entire 2011 season. That occurred when she played 85 of the 90 minutes of game action versus Vanderbilt on Sept. 18. McKiernan-Allen will be expected to anchor the Bulldogs' defense this season and act as a safety net for the team's talented, yet new starter in goal.
 
Another key returning starter this year will be Adrianne Mancino (Lancaster, Pa.). In 2011, the Bulldogs' fiery competitor was a member of the prestigious SoCon All-Tournament Team and was named a national Division I College Soccer 360 Primetime Performer of the Week on Oct. 24, after she scored the Bulldogs' game-winning goal against Georgia Southern (Oct. 22). Additionally, Mancino drove home the game-winning goal against College of Charleston in the championship match of the 2011 SoCon Tournament to lift Samford to the NCAA Tournament. She started in 21 matches of the team's 22 contests of the season and concluded the campaign with three goals, three assists and nine points.
 
Katie Danehy (Memphis, Tenn.), who is coming off a brilliant true freshman campaign in 2011, will also be a solid member of the Bulldogs' back line. A year ago, she started all 22 matches and logged 1,997 minutes of playing time, which ranked third on the team. Danehy logged over 100 minutes in five matches and after playing 45 minutes against Alabama on Aug. 21, she was never taken out of a match for the remainder of the final 20 outings of the 2011 campaign.
 
Also returning in Samford's defensive back line this season will be both Lindsey Hansen (Zionsville, Ind.) and Mary Grabowski (Duncanville, Ala.). Hansen earned playing time in 16 of the Bulldogs' 22 matches as a true freshman last year, while Grabowski started in 17 matches and logged playing time in 21 of the team's 22 contests. She notched a total of 1,355 minutes of playing time over the course of the season and played a career-high 105 minutes versus Furman on Oct. 9.
 
Samford's defense is perennially the strong point of its team and the 2012 squad won't be any different. Along with their five returning starters, the Bulldogs will also boast the addition of highly-touted recruits Diana Getzewich (Johns Creek, Ga.), Hallie Georgi (Cicero, Ind.) and Alissa Hansen (Zionsville, Ind.).
 
MIDFIELDERS
 
Arguably, Samford's strongest position this season will be its midfield. The Bulldogs boast four returning starters in Shanika Thomas (Ontario, Canada), Trine Taule (Frekhaug, Norway), Joy Grove (Midlothian, Va.) and Michelle Moll (Evansville, Ind.), and also welcome the addition of Ariane Lukens (Arvada, Colo.), and Jordan Johnson (Brandon, Fla.). Lukens, who will be a sophomore this season, transferred to Samford from South Carolina, while Johnson became a Bulldog after previously spending two seasons at perennial powerhouse Florida State.

Thomas, a 2012 Team Captain, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the SoCon Tournament where she helped lead Samford to the championship title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. A junior this season, Thomas was also a member of the SoCon All-Tournament Team and started in all 22 of the Bulldogs' matches while logging a career-high total of 1,974 minutes of playing time.
 
Taule will also be a junior this season and is coming off a stellar 2011 campaign in which she started in 20 of the team's 22 matches and logged a total of 1,305 minutes of playing time. She led the team with five assists and scored key goals against Kennesaw State (Sept. 2) and Furman (Oct. 9). Taule's total of five assists was ranked ninth in the SoCon.
 
As an attacking midfielder, Grove was named to the prestigious 2011 SoCon All-Freshman Team and earned playing time in 21 of the team's 22 matches. She finished the season with three goals and two assists for a total of eight points, which was ranked fifth on the team. Grove, who will be a sophomore this season, started 15 matches for Samford and compiled 1,376 minutes of playing time in 2011.
 
Moll, who is another member of Samford's highly-decorated junior class, will also play a key role in the Bulldogs' midfield this season. Last year, she earned First-Team All-SoCon honors and started in 16 of the team's matches. Moll finished second on the team with four goals scored and added a pair of assists for a total of 10 points, which was also ranked second on Samford's squad.
 
The Bulldogs' midfield was already loaded with talent, but with the addition of highly-touted recruits Lindy Robichaux (Geismar, La.), Kinsey Sessions (Franklin, Tenn.) and Libby Spragg (Findlay, Ohio), Samford might have one of the top midfields in the Southeast. The position should easily be one of the top strengths for the Bulldogs this season and its prowess will bolster both the team's forwards and defenders throughout the campaign.
 
FORWARDS

The Bulldogs' forward position this season will be anchored by senior Kaley Blanton (Mandeville, La.). Last year, Samford's athletic finisher earned playing time in 21 of the team's 22 matches and concluded the season with two assists and a key goal against Wofford on Oct. 6, as the Bulldogs earned a 3-0 victory. Blanton started in seven contests and logged 803 minutes over the course of the season.
 
Samford lost its all-time leader in game-winning goals with the graduation of Sarah Wilkinson, but returns the efforts of Brittany Hoffman (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Amanda Abbott (Marietta, Ga.) this season. Last year, Wilkinson led the Bulldogs with eight goals, while Abbott added three and Hoffman scored two. Hoffman, who will be a sophomore this season, is a proven goal-scorer and is a great target forward who can collect the ball, draw the defense and then switch the point of attack with a spot-on service from 40 yards out.
 
Abbott, who has the potential to have a breakout season this year, earned playing time in all 22 contests as a true freshman in 2011. She finished the campaign with three goals, an assist and seven points en route to logging 914 minutes of game action.
 
In 2012, Samford's forward position will also boast the addition of talented true freshman McKenzie Thomas (Hixson, Tenn.). Thomas was a three-time Offensive Most Valuable Player at The Baylor School and led her team to Tennessee State championship titles in both 2011 and 2012. She also earned All-State accolades in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and received Best of the Preps honors in both 2010 and 2012.
 
Samford's offensive attack will obviously miss the scoring production from Wilkinson this season, but with talented athletes returning in Blanton, Hoffman and Abbott, along with the addition of Thomas, the Bulldogs should be able to find the back of the net early and often.
 
SCHEDULE

The Samford soccer team will again face a challenging slate of matches in 2012. The Bulldogs' schedule is highlighted by road matches against in-state opponents Auburn and Alabama, as well as a cross-town duel versus UAB.
 
Additionally, the Bulldogs are slated to square off against Southeastern Conference opponents Tennessee and Kentucky, and will also play host to regional rivals Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. The Bulldogs are also scheduled to travel to Louisville, Ky., for a key matchup against Toledo in the prestigious Cardinal Classic.
  “This is going to be a very demanding schedule filled with great teams and great coaches,” said Yelton. “This is going to be as competitive of a nonconference schedule that we've ever played. There are five teams in our nonconference schedule that played in the NCAA Tournament last year, and then we'll have our SoCon schedule, which is always very challenging. This conference continues to get better and better and our task will be even more demanding after winning the league last season.”
 
Samford will open its 2012 slate Friday at 6 p.m., as the Bulldogs will begin a treacherous three-match road swing against SEC foes Tennessee (Aug. 17), Alabama (Aug. 24) and Auburn (Aug. 31).
 
“Traditionally, what we've done here is that we've always played a very demanding schedule,” Yelton said. “Our goal is to be a top-25 program and when you play the likes of Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn, as well as the rest of our nonconference schedule, at the end of the day you better beat those teams. We don't schedule those teams just to show up to play. We schedule them to go in there and get wins. We've begun to do that in this program, now we just need to go out and compete and meet those tasks head-on.”
 
On Sept. 2, Samford will welcome the UAB Blazers to campus for a critical intra-city matchup. Last season, the teams squared off at UAB's West Campus Field and the Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision in the matchup. In the loss, Samford's All-Southern Conference goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead tallied a game-high seven saves.
 
Following their home test against UAB in early September, the Bulldogs will once again take to the road as they head to Louisville, Ky., for the 2012 Cardinal Classic. On Sept. 7, Samford will square off against Toledo before facing Kentucky on Sept. 9, in the second day of the prestigious early-season competition.
 
The Bulldogs' final two matches of nonconference play are slated against Kennesaw State (Sept. 14) and Jacksonville State (Sept. 16) before heading to both Georgia Southern (Sept. 21) and Davidson (Sept. 23) to open their SoCon schedule.
 
“In this conference, every match is going to be tough, but I personally feel that our road matches will be much tougher,” said Yelton. “Not that we can't be beaten at home, but I think it's far more difficult for teams to take points away from us here, but going on the road in this league is really challenging. It's challenging for any team and it's going to be even more challenging for us after being fortunate enough to go undefeated in the league last season.”
 
Throughout the heart of the SoCon schedule, Samford will host Furman (Sept. 27), Western Carolina (Oct. 5), Appalachian State (Oct. 7), UNCG (Oct. 19) on Senior Night, and then Elon (Oct. 21) before playing host to the 2012 SoCon Tournament, Nov. 2-4.
 
Along with hosting the semifinal and championship rounds of the SoCon Tournament, Samford could also host a first-round match in the competition on Oct. 28 if the Bulldogs conclude the regular season as one of the top-four seeds in the eight-team tournament. It will be the first time that Samford has hosted the SoCon Tournament at the brilliant Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
“Hosting the SoCon Tournament here is huge, but in this challenging league, we have to make sure that we get to that point first,” Yelton said. “If we are fortunate enough to get to the conference semifinals, being able to play at home is a big advantage for any team. I certainly think it's a big advantage for us, especially considering how successful we've been when playing at home.”
 
The Bulldogs will face SoCon foes Georgia Southern and Davidson on the road to open their 2012 conference slate, and will also play tough road matches at Wofford (Sept. 30), The Citadel (Oct. 12), College of Charleston (Oct. 14) and Chattanooga (Oct. 24).
 
Samford soccer is coming off one of its best seasons in school history. The 2011 Bulldogs registered a 14-6-2 overall record and went undefeated in SoCon play at 9-0-2. Samford won the league's regular-season title and earned its first SoCon Tournament championship with consecutive wins against Western Carolina, Furman and College of Charleston. The Bulldogs advanced to the 2012 NCAA Tournament where they squared off against the Florida State Seminoles. In 2011, Samford also set school records with a 10-match winning streak and a 14-match undefeated streak. The Bulldogs would like to duplicate their successes of last season and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for a fourth time in eight years.