Sept. 14, 2008

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University soccer team suffered its third-consecutive 1-0 defeat Sunday as the Bulldogs dropped a heart-breaking decision against their cross-town rival UAB Blazers in the final match of the 2008 UAB Nike Classic at West Campus Field.

In the hard-fought loss, Samford (1-6) rattled off eight shots on goal, but couldn't find the back of the net. The Bulldogs registered four corner kicks in the second half of play and finished with four players taking multiple shot attempts.

Leading Samford's offensive attack were Leah Leppert, Cindy Spiker, Hilary Samuels and Tori Delmonico. All four players finished the match with two shot attempts apiece, with both of Leppert's shots being on-goal.

With the win, UAB (2-5) improved its all-time record against Samford to 1-1. The Blazers registered 16 shots in the game, but only seven were on target. Junior Danya Barsalona led her team with seven shots and five shots on goal.

UAB's most important shot on goal occurred during the 87th minute of play.

With less than four minutes remaining in the contest, Barsalona took the ball down the left flank and sent a downfield pass up ahead to Tiffini Turpin near the penalty box.

Immediately following the perfectly placed pass, both Turpin and Samford goalkeeper Cayley Winters converged on the bounding ball. Turpin, the Blazers' speedy freshman from Birmingham, reached the ball first and sidestepped Winters to her left. With the empty net in front of her, Turpin lofted the ball into the far corner of the net for the game-winning goal.

The score was Turpin's first of her collegiate career and the assist was Barsalona's first of the 2008 campaign.

UAB's last-minute victory was its second in as many games. On Friday, the Blazers defeated Wright State 1-0 with a game-winning goal scored with one second remaining.

Samford's 1-0 loss was its third straight. Last week, the Bulldogs suffered a 1-0 (2OT) defeat against Arkansas in the championship match of the 2008 adidas Gamecock Classic. Then on Friday, Samford dropped another 1-0 road loss to Alabama.

Samford's Winters played all 90 minutes in goal Sunday and tallied five saves.

The teams played to a scoreless first half with both squads having minimal opportunities for goals.

UAB tallied eight shot attempts in the opening 45 minutes of play, while Samford finished with four. Three of the Blazers' shots were on-goal.

The Bulldogs registered a pair of scoring opportunities in the first half. On Samford's initial attempt, Leppert sent a screaming header towards the left post from seven yards out at 23:18. On Leppert's header, UAB goalkeeper Kate Blankenship made a diving save to her right. The save was her second of the first half.

Later in the first half, Samford's Delmonico barely missed out on a goal as her header sailed just left of the post during the 38th minute of play. The shot attempt was Delmonico's first of the match.

The Bulldogs' Samuels paced the team with two shot attempts in the first half. The Blazers' Barsalona led her team with three shots in the opening 45 minutes of play, two of which were on-goal.

The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs face off against their third-straight in-state opponent, the Auburn Tigers, at the Auburn Soccer Complex in Auburn, Ala.