Nov. 24, 2005

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - As Marian Wagner's penalty kick moved past the outstretched fingertips of Vanderbilt's goalkeeper, Tyler Griffin, and a throng of Samford students rushed onto the field to celebrate the Bulldogs' 5-4 shootout win over the 19th-ranked Commodores, the time had come . . . Samford had become one of the nation's elite.

With the penalty-kick shootout victory, the Bulldogs knocked off hometown-favorite Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.

In only his fourth season at Samford, head coach Todd Yelton was visibly moved by the win and gave all of the credit to his players.

"I'm a little speechless at this point, but I'm just extremely proud of this team," said Yelton in his post-game press conference. "Our players kept battling out there tonight and they all played with a great deal of heart and character. I can't tell you how proud I am of them."

The win helped cap off the Bulldogs' best season in school history.

Samford finished the 2005 campaign with a school-record 15-4-4 overall mark and secured both the Ohio Valley Conference's regular-season and tournament titles. The OVC regular-season championship was the Bulldogs' third in a row and Yelton was named the 2005 Coach of the Year. The accolade was his second in three seasons.

Samford again dominated the individual All-OVC honors in 2005.

A total of seven Bulldogs earned conference awards and sophomore Rebecca Bohler was named the Player of the Year. Bohler, Samford's speedy forward from Augusta, Ga., became the second-straight Bulldog to earn the league's top honor.

Last season, Samford's record-holding goalkeeper Crystal Royall received the award en route to becoming the first player in conference history to sweep both Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Bohler finished the 2005 season with a school-record 12 assists and four goals for a total of 20 points. Fellow-sophomore Heather Birdsell also received First-Team All-OVC honors and ended the year with 20 points.

A native of Plano, Texas, Birdsell led the Bulldogs in goals scored (7) for a second-consecutive season and recorded a key two-goal performance against Austin Peay on Oct. 17.

Samford was ranked as high as No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) Southeast Regional standings and also ended the campaign listed in a number of national rankings.

The Bulldogs' defense only allowed a record-low 13 goals in 23 games and finished the season ranked 10th in the country in goals-against average (0.54).

Freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters ended the year as the No. 11-ranked goalkeeper in the nation in goals-against average (0.54) and the team earned the No. 3 ranking in shots on goal save percentage (0.88).

Winters, the Bulldogs' highly-touted goalkeeper from Littleton, Colo., led the team with six shutouts and concluded the 2005 season with a 10-3-2 record in goal. She was named to the OVC's All-Newcomer Team and was honored with the award along with fellow-freshman Lauren Faubion.

A native of McKinney, Texas, Faubion finished second on the team in goals (6) and scored a pair of key game-winning goals for the Bulldogs.

Samford's Kim Matthews headlined the OVC's second team in 2005 as the Bulldogs' junior midfielder from Colleyville, Texas, received her third-consecutive All-OVC honor. In Samford's run to the NCAA Tournament, she helped lead the team's offensive attack and finished third in goals (5), assists (5) and points (15).

Samford defenders Sharon Young and Rebecca Mock were also named to the OVC's second team.

Young, a junior from Powder Springs, Ga., earned her third-straight all-conference honor, while Mock, who was forced to miss last season due to an injury, notched her first All-OVC accolade. Mock is a native of Marietta, Ga., and started in 22 games for the Bulldogs in 2005.

Despite advancing past Vanderbilt in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the most rewarding win of Samford's record-setting season was arguably a thrilling 1-0 victory over arch-rival Eastern Illinois in the championship game of the OVC Tournament.

The win not only guaranteed the Bulldogs their first trip to the NCAA College Cup, but it snapped a two-game losing streak against Eastern Illinois in OVC Tournament championship matches.

The contest was broadcast live to a national TV audience courtesy of ESPNU.

With the score of game knotted at 0-0 late in the second half, Samford was fouled deep in Eastern Illinois territory and was awarded a direct kick.

On the ensuing set piece, the Bulldogs' Bohler, sent a high lofting ball down in front of Eastern Illinois' goal. The pass bounced directly in front of the Panthers' net, bounded off a pair of defenders and found its way to the right post.

With the ball a mere few feet from the goal line, Samford's Young gained possession and slammed it home into the back of the net. The goal was her fourth of the season.

"I'm extremely proud of this team," Yelton said following the Bulldogs' OVC Tournament championship. "They worked so hard for this all year long and they deserve to play in the NCAA Tournament. From a coaching standpoint, it's a huge burden off of our shoulders and this was a great win for our team."

The Samford University soccer team recorded the greatest season in school history in 2005, but the future looks even brighter for the Bulldogs.

All 11 players that started for Samford in the NCAA College Cup return to the team next season and Coach Yelton's recruiting class is once again slated to be among the best in the nation.

With the experience that the Bulldogs gained in 2005 and the talent-laden roster that is expected in 2006, Samford is poised to not only win its fourth-consecutive OVC regular-season title, but to become a staple in the NCAA College Cup for years to come.