Oct. 24, 2003

Box Score

MOREHEAD, Ky - Marian Wagner scored her first career hat trick as the Samford Bulldogs won their third straight Ohio Valley Conference match with a 3-0 victory at Morehead State Friday night.

Wagner had all three Bulldog goals to give her a team-high seven for the season and 18 for her career moving her into a tie for third place on Samford's all-time list. The Bulldogs move to 10-3-3 on the regular season and remain in first place in the OVC with a 6-1 record. The win gives Samford the opportunity to win the OVC regular season championship against Jacksonville State next Friday.

"I was pleased with our overall effort in a very tough environment," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "It was tough playing on a tight field against a physical opponent, but it brought us one step closer to our goal of winning the regular season. We can't make a big deal about it we just have to go out and play hard against a very good Jacksonville State team."

Morehead State (2-10-1, 0-5 OVC) dropped its sixth straight match and remains winless in the conference. The Eagles best chance to score came in the 27th minute off a corner kick. Christina Moore hit the post with one of her team-high three shots on the night. On the ensuing counter attack, the Bulldogs won a corner-kick to set up their first goal.

Lindsay Shanks took the corner in the 28th minute that was headed first by Kelly Christoffer and then by Sara Geiger, the ball bounced to the foot for Wagner who made no mistake finding the back of the net to give Samford the lead. In the 33rd minute Shanks was off on a break away when she was fouled in the box earning a penalty kick. Wagner stepped to the spot and calmly found the back of the net.

The score remained 2-0 at halftime with Samford holding a 14-2 edge in shots. The Bulldogs would outshoot the Eagles 20-6 in the match and held the advantage in corner kicks 9-4.

The lone goal of the second half came in the 78th minute as Allison Provine sent a ball into Rebecca Mock who sent a wonderful cross into the box that Wagner headed home to complete the hat trick. Wagner's hat trick was only the second in Samford history, the first was a four-goal performance by Mitzi Mahan on Sept. 6, 2000.

Samford will step out of conference play for its next two matches. The Bulldogs will play at Middle Tennessee on Sunday afternoon in a 1 p.m. match.