Nov. 12, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Once again, the Samford University soccer team made history with a milestone achievement Monday as the Bulldogs received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Samford, the No. 3-seed in the Florida State regional, will square off against the No. 2-seeded LSU Tigers on Friday.

With the record-setting accomplishment, Samford (15-4-1) became the first team in Ohio Valley Conference history to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Monday also marked the first time in school history that Samford earned an at-large bid. Two seasons ago, the Bulldogs received an automatic bid to the 64-team event and knocked off 19th-ranked Vanderbilt in the opening round of the 2005 regional.

"When we came here as a coaching staff six years ago, we wanted to build a program that would earn national respect, and receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament is huge," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "I'm so happy for our players and especially our seniors. They've all worked so hard this season and it's a testament to how they've overcome injuries and adversity."

Samford is the No. 3-seeded team in the Tallahassee Regional which also features top-seed Florida State (13-5-3), No. 2-seed LSU (11-4-7) and No. 4-seed Kennesaw State (17-3). Earlier this season, the Bulldogs defeated the Kennesaw State Owls 3-0.

Florida State heads into the NCAA Tournament as the 15th-ranked team in the nation. LSU, which was ranked for a majority of the season, is currently receiving votes in the latest Soccer Buzz poll.

Samford was recently ranked No. 14 in the Southeast Region, while Kennesaw State followed at No. 15.

LSU, which earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance Monday, is in the midst of its best season in school history. In only its third year under the tutelage of head coach Brian Lee, LSU won the Southeastern Conference's Western Division and advanced to the conference tournament semifinal before falling to eventual champion Florida in double overtime, 1-0.

"I have a huge amount of respect for LSU and the job that Brian (Lee) has done there is such a short time," Yelton said. "He's already built that program into a legitimate top-20 team and we feel that it should be a very competitive match. It will be a great test for both teams and it will definitely be a tough battle."

With a win Friday, the Bulldogs would advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and would face the winner of Florida State and Kennesaw State. The regional final match will be held Sunday, Nov.18.

The Seminoles lost to top-seeded North Carolina in the Atlantic Coach Conference Tournament final 1-0. Kennesaw State won its first Atlantic Sun Tournament title at home Sunday to earn the league's automatic berth. The Owls defeated Mercer in the final 2-1.

For the second time in two seasons, the Samford soccer team will play in the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Bulldogs will begin its quest for a national championship Friday in Tallahassee, Fla. The match time has yet to be determined by the NCAA and Florida State University.

2007 NCAA Tournament Bracket