Nov. 11, 2005

Box Score

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The 2005 Samford University soccer team continued to make school history on Friday as the Bulldogs used a 5-4 advantage in a penalty-kick shootout to upend the 19th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. By advancing, they became the first women's team in Samford history to win an NCAA Tournament contest.

Senior Marian Wagner scored the Bulldogs' lone goal in the victory and registered the deciding score in the penalty-kick shootout. Samford scored on all five penalty kicks as Rebecca Bohler, Sara Geiger, Shay Helmbock and Devon Paris also tallied goals.

Samford (15-3-4) will face the 16th-ranked Pepperdine Waves at 2 p.m., at the VU Soccer Complex.

Vanderbilt (16-3-3) had its share of scoring opportunities in the contest, but Samford's freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters make a career-high 11 saves. The most important save of the game was Winters' deflection of Monica Buff's shot during the penalty-kick shootout.

The teams played to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the opening 45 minutes of play.

In a frenetic ending to the first half, both Samford and Vanderbilt scored goals in the final four minutes of play.

Samford scored the game's initial goal with exactly 3:02 remaining in the opening period as Wagner tallied the record-setting 26th goal of her career. The play was initiated by junior Sharon Young and was continued by Cassie Applegate, who earned her first assist of the season.

Young, the Bulldogs' three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer, gained possession at midfield, outran a Vanderbilt defender and lofted a pass ahead to Applegate. Applegate then rifled a shot at goal, but was stopped by the Commodores' goalkeeper, Tyler Griffin.

Griffin's deflection sent the ball out to Wagner at the top of the penalty box where she snaked a shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. The goal was Wagner's fourth of the season.

With the score, Wagner took sole possession of the top position on Samford's all-time goals list. The Bulldogs' midfielder from Spring, Texas, set the school-record with 26 goals and surpassed 2004 Samford graduate Lindsay Shanks.

Wagner also became the school's all-time leader in points with 68. Once again, she moved by Shanks for the record.

Shortly after the Bulldogs took the initial 1-0 lead, Vanderbilt rebounded with a quick goal from freshman midfielder Katie Schulz.

The Commodores' score came only 1:40 after Samford's goal and was the first of Schulz' career.

The Samford University soccer team will square off against the 16th-ranked Pepperdine Waves on Sunday at 2 p.m., with an opportunity to advance to the round of 16 in the NCAA College Cup.

2005 NCAA Tournament
Vanderbilt Regional

Game One: #16 Pepperdine (14-3-3) def. Ole Miss (14-5-2), 1-0.

Game Two: Samford (15-3-4) advances past #19 Vanderbilt (16-3-3), 1-1 (5-4 penalty kicks).

SAM 1 0 0 0 (5)
#19 VU 1 0 0 0 (4)

Scoring: SAM, Marian Wagner (4) 41:58 (assist Cassie Applegate); VU, Katie Schulz (1) 43:38 (unassisted).
Saves: SAM, Cayley Winters 11, Team 1; VU, Tyler Griffin 1.
Yellow Cards: SAM, Marchele Olds (1) 67:55.

Penalty-kick Shootout
VU - Amy Baumann - Score, 1-0
SAM - Rebecca Bohler - Score, 1-1
VU - Susan McAleavey - Score, 2-1
SAM - Sara Geiger - Score, 2-2
VU - Monica Buff - Saved, 2-2
SAM - Shay Helmbock - Score, 2-3
VU - Kim Perkins - Score, 3-3
SAM - Devon Paris - Score, 3-4
VU - Meredith Kohn - Score, 4-4
SAM - Marian Wagner - Score, 4-5

Samford wins shootout, 5-4, advances to round of 32.