Aug. 21, 2008

AUSTIN, Texas - The Samford soccer team will begin play in its 2008 regular season Friday at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs square off against the eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns at the Mike A. Myers Soccer Stadium. The match will be the first meeting between Samford and Texas on the pitch.

Texas, the No. 8-ranked team in the nation, will be Samford's highest-ranked opponent since the Bulldogs squared off against fourth-ranked Pepperdine in the second round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament.

Samford heads into Friday's season-opening contest boasting nine returning starters and 16 letterwinners from last year's team that finished with a school-record 15-5-1 mark. In 2007, the Bulldogs also set a school record with 43 goals scored, while only allowing the opposition to score 16.

Last season, Samford earned its second NCAA Tournament berth in three years and became the first athletic team in school history to receive an at-large bid to the Field of 64. The Bulldogs met LSU in the first round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament and were upended a hard-fought 1-0 double-overtime contest held in Tallahassee, Fla.

Texas enters the 2008 season after recently being picked to finish first in the Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll for the first time since 2003.

The Longhorns received three preseason all-conference selections in senior defenders Stephanie Logterman and Kasey Moore, as well as sophomore forward Niki Arlitt. The Horns were also ranked No. 8 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's preseason poll.

Texas returns its entire back line this season including starting goalkeeper Dianna Pfenninger. Last season, the backline, anchored by two-time All-American senior Kasey Moore, and seniors Stephanie Logterman and Jill Gilbeau, tied the single-season shutout record they set in 2006 with 10. Pfenninger also tied the records she set in 2006 with her 0.85 goals-against average, 16 wins and seven shutouts.

Samford, which was picked to finish fourth in Wednesday's Preseason Southern Conference Coaches' Poll, will be led this year by seniors Candace Clippard, Valerie Kikkert, Kat Sweatt and Cayley Winters. The Bulldogs will also be guided by redshirt juniors Jenna Sturgill and Marchele Olds.

Samford's talented, yet young roster this year features four seniors, six juniors, seven sophomores and 11 freshmen.

Texas, which finished its 2007 campaign with a 16-4-5 record and a trip to the NCAA Championship round of 16 for the third time in four years, squared off against Loyola Marymount in an exhibition match Saturday and picked up a 3-1 victory. Samford hosted Ole Miss in its lone exhibition this season, but suffered a hard-fought 1-0 defeat.

Following Samford's season-opener versus the eighth-ranked Texas Longhorns on Saturday, the Bulldogs will next be in action Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., against the Milwaukee Panthers in Milwaukee, Wis.

GameTracker - Samford at #8 Texas