Sept. 25, 2008

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Samford University will officially begin competition in Southern Conference play on Friday at 7 p.m., as the Bulldogs' soccer team hosts the Elon Phoenix in the school's inaugural SoCon matchup to be held at Bulldog Field.

On Saturday, Samford's football and volleyball teams will both make their SoCon debuts in road conference games. The Bulldog football team plays at eighth-ranked Elon at 12:30 p.m., while the volleyball team is scheduled to square off against Davidson at 2 p.m.

The Samford soccer team heads into Friday's SoCon opener with a 1-7 record on the season.

So far this year, the Bulldogs have played against four regionally-ranked opponents, three teams from the Southeastern Conference and the eighth-ranked team in the nation, Texas. All eight of Samford's matches this season have been played on the road.

The Bulldogs' 1-0 victory against Mercer on Sept. 5 propelled them into the championship game of the 2008 adidas Gamecock Classic. Since then, Samford has dropped consecutive matches away from home against Arkansas 1-0, Alabama 1-0, UAB 1-0 and Auburn 3-0.

Elon (4-2-1) opens SoCon play Friday with aspirations of extending its current three-game winning streak.

Following a disastrous 6-0 loss at Old Dominion on Sept. 7, the Phoenix has rattled off consecutive victories against Gardner-Webb 1-0, Winthrop 1-0 and Maryland-Baltimore County.

Elon opened the 2008 season with a 5-1 loss at NC State, but then bounced back for a 1-0 victory at Maryland on Aug. 31 and a 1-1 draw against High Point on Sept. 3. The Phoenix has only played two matches at home this season and own a 3-2 mark when competing outside of Elon, N.C.

Friday's match marks Samford's first all-time meeting with Elon. The Bulldogs entered the 2008 campaign with a 7-1-2 all-time record versus SoCon opponents.

Following Samford's matchup versus Elon on Friday, the Bulldogs will continue their inaugural two-game SoCon homestand Sunday at 2 p.m., against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Bulldog Field.

GameTracker - Samford vs. Elon