June 2, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University soccer team officially released its 2008 schedule Monday and the Bulldogs' upcoming slate will feature high-profile games against Texas, Marquette, Arkansas, Alabama, UAB and Auburn. Samford will also kick off the season with a home exhibition versus Ole Miss on Aug. 16.

"We view ourselves as one of the top teams in the Southeast and the way that you prove that is by playing against a quality schedule," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "Last year, we also played against a tough schedule and it paid off for us when we received the first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in school history.

"I also believe that by playing a tough schedule, we can measure ourselves against the top programs in the country. This schedule will obviously be a very challenging one for us, not only in the non-conference, but also as we begin competing in the Southern Conference. Last year, had we been a part of it, the SoCon would have had three teams in the NCAA Tournament."

Samford's upcoming 2008 schedule will feature four matches against teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last season.

Texas, the Bulldogs' season-opening opponent Aug. 22, advanced to the round of 32 in 2007, as did SoCon-member UNC Greensboro. Texas defeated BYU 2-0 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, while UNC Greensboro upended Memphis 1-0. This season, Samford will square off against UNC Greensboro at home at Bulldog Field on Sept. 28.

"Texas is recognized as one of the top teams in the nation year in and year out and they really have a great program," Yelton said. "We also have a lot of Texans on our team and it will be a great trip for them. Also, Marquette will be a tough game, because they are a power in the Big East and our schedule will remain difficult all season long."

The Bulldogs will also face off against 2007 NCAA Tournament teams Auburn and Furman this season.

Samford is scheduled to play at Auburn on Sept. 19 and at home against the Furman Paladins on Oct. 10. Last year, Furman completed the season with an impressive 16-6-1 overall record, while Auburn tallied a 10-7-2 mark en route to the NCAA Tournament.

Following a pair of weekend games at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Aug. 29) and Marquette (Aug. 31), as well as a non-conference matchup against Mercer (Sept. 5), Samford will face a stretch of consecutive matches against Arkansas, Alabama, UAB and Auburn.

The Bulldogs are slated to play Arkansas on Sept. 7 in the Jacksonville State Tournament, before squaring off on the road against Alabama (Sept. 12), UAB (Sept. 14) and Auburn (Sept. 19).

"We have that stretch of games against SEC West opponents and obviously those will be difficult," said Yelton. "I think our team is looking forward to playing Auburn, because we've developed quite a rivalry with them over the years and it is always a great environment down there on the Plains. Also, our rivalry against cross-town opponent UAB was rekindled last year and it's going to be another great game this season."

Samford will begin play in the SoCon on Sept. 26 at home versus Elon.

This season, the Bulldogs are slated to play six home matches, all of which are against SoCon opponents. Samford's home slate also includes games against UNC Greensboro (Sept. 28), Furman (Oct. 10), College of Charleston (Oct. 17), The Citadel (Oct. 19) and Chattanooga (Oct. 30).

The Bulldogs will play road conference matches versus Davidson (Oct. 3), Georgia Southern (Oct. 5), Wofford (Oct. 12), Appalachian State (Oct. 24) and Western Carolina (Oct. 26).

In 2008, Samford will play a total of six games at Bulldog Field and 13 matches away from home.

"Scheduling home games is always difficult for us because there aren't a lot of teams that want to come play us at our place," Yelton said. "We always want to play quality opponents and a lot of times you have to go on the road to make that happen. Last year, we enjoyed being at home a lot, but now it worked out that we will have to travel more."

During the 2007 campaign, UNC Greensboro won the SoCon's regular-season title with a 15-4-1 overall record. Furman, the third-place team in the regular-season standings, rallied to win the SoCon Tournament; therefore UNC Greensboro earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The 2008 SoCon Tournament will begin with the first round to be held at campus sites Nov. 2. The semifinals will be held Nov. 7 and Nov. 9.

"The quality of the Southern Conference speaks for itself," said Yelton. "Just look at the teams in the conference and what they've accomplished against non-conference opponents. Over the years, they have matched up well against teams from the SEC and the ACC, and that's a huge accomplishment."

Samford finished the 2007 campaign with a 15-4-1 overall record. With the impressive season, the Bulldogs earned their first at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in school history. Samford's NCAA Tournament appearance was its second in three years and Yelton attributes the success to playing against some of the top opponents in the nation.

"In the recruiting process, one of the things that we try to identify is players that want to compete at a high level," Yelton said. "The one thing that we promise our recruits is that they will get the opportunity to compete against the top programs in the country and I think that we've delivered on that promise each year, especially this season."

The Samford University soccer team will begin competitive play in its 2008 schedule Aug. 16, as the Bulldogs square off against the Ole Miss Rebels in an exhibition match to be held at 1 p.m., at Bulldog Field.

2008 Samford Soccer Schedule