Oct. 12, 2007

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. - The Samford University soccer team extended its winning streak to five-consecutive matches Friday as the Bulldogs breezed by the Eastern Kentucky Colonels 3-1 in Ohio Valley Conference play. True freshman Lauren Cook scored a pair of goals in the victory.

Senior Heather Birdsell tacked on the Bulldogs' third goal of the match, while goalkeeper Cayley Winters improved her record in goal to 9-3.

With the win, Samford (9-3-0, 4-0-0 OVC) remained undefeated in league play and opened its conference season with an unblemished 4-0 record for the first time since 2004.

The Bulldogs will attempt to improve to a school-record 5-0 OVC record Sunday against Morehead State at 1 p.m.

Eastern Kentucky (1-10-2, 0-5-0 OVC) scored a goal for the first time since Sept. 21 on Friday, but dropped its eighth-consecutive match. The Colonels have not been victorious since a 1-0 triumph against Detroit on Sept. 9.

Samford jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Cook scored her first goal of the contest during the opening minute of play.

Only 36 seconds into the duel, Cook gathered a pass from fellow-freshman Hilary Samuels and scored her eighth goal of the season. The score, which was Samford's quickest goal of the 2007 campaign, was still 12 seconds shy of the fastest goal scored in school history.

Last season, the Bulldogs tallied a goal 24 seconds into a 4-0 victory against Arkansas State.

After Samford exploded to take its quick 1-0 lead, Eastern Kentucky answered with a goal of its own only 41 seconds later. On the play, freshman Alex Raich scored an unassisted goal, the first of her collegiate career.

The Bulldogs' Cook tallied the game-winning goal during the 16th minute of play. The score was her second of the match and her team-leading ninth of the 2007 campaign. Cook has already scored the most goals in a single season since former Samford-great Marian Wagner tallied 11 in 2002.

Wagner's mark of 11 goals scored during the 2002 campaign is Samford's single-season record. She also holds the school record with 26 career goals.

Birdsell, who ranks fifth on Samford's all-time goals scored list, tallied her second goal of the year to give the Bulldogs' a decisive 3-1 victory. Freshman Leah Leppert was credited with the assist on the play. Sophomore Amber Cress assisted on Cook's second goal of the match, her third helper of the season.

Samford outshot Eastern Kentucky 13-6 and improved to 2-1 in the all-time series.

The Samford University soccer team will continue its two-match weekend road trip Sunday at 1 p.m., as the Bulldogs square off against the Morehead State Eagles in Morehead, Ky.