Oct. 17, 2010

Box Score

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University soccer team used a second-half goal from true freshman Michelle Moll to defeat the Western Carolina Catamounts 1-0 on Sunday in a key Southern Conference showdown held at Bulldog Field. Moll's game-winning score came during the 81st minute of play and was assisted by junior Sarah Wilkinson.

"I can't say that we looked our sharpest today, but a lot of that has to do with Western Carolina and how hard they played," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "I didn't think we were that clean in our offensive attack, but at the end of the day we were able to get a win, and on a Sunday they are sometimes hard to come by, so we are very thankful for it."

With the victory, Samford (10-5-1, 6-2 SoCon) extended its winning streak to six-consecutive matches and reached the 10-win plateau in a season for the eighth time in nine years.

Since dropping a hard-fought 1-0 decision against No. 20-ranked UNC Greensboro on Sept. 26, the Bulldogs have rattled off consecutive wins versus College of Charleston 2-0, The Citadel 7-0, Wofford 1-0, Furman 3-2 (OT), Appalachian State 1-0 (2OT) and Western Carolina (5-8-3, 2-4-2 SoCon) 1-0.

"There are no easy matches in this conference," said Yelton. "I think that five of six years ago, you would get any easy league game every now and then, but in this league that's not happening. Every match is hard and demanding, and if you slip up and are not ready to play, then you can find yourself with a loss."

Moll's game-winning score proved to be the first goal of her collegiate career. A native of Evansville, Ind., Moll has started in the last 14 matches for the Bulldogs and has proven to be a key workhorse for the team at the midfield position.

On Sunday's decisive goal, the play was started by Wilkinson at midfield as she gathered a loose ball and scooted by a pair of Western Carolina defenders. She then broke free 40 yards out from goal and then passed the ball out to the left flank to Moll.

Moll gathered the pass at the corner of the box and beat the Catamounts' last defender to the left side. She then faked to her right and slipped the ball past Western Carolina's goalkeeper, Caitlin Williams, to the bottom left corner of the net.

"Michelle has been fantastic this season and she has continued to grow and grow as a player," Yelton said. "I will give full credit to our players from the standpoint that they've never let all of our injuries get them down. We've continued to get positive results in a very demanding league and that speaks volumes about their character and determination."

Samford goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead, who recently set the school's all-time record in shutouts as a junior, tallied her ninth of the 2010 campaign as she pulled down four key saves Sunday. Whitehead extended her career record in the category to 23 and is now only one shutout shy of tying her own school record in single-season shutouts with 10.

"I think the thing that's most special about Alyssa setting the career record as a junior is how many quality goalkeepers have played here before her," said Yelton. "We've had a list of goalkeepers that is not too shabby at all and for her to already eclipse that mark goes to show you a lot about her ability and how she ranks nationally."

With Sunday's victory against Western Carolina, Samford took a 2-1-1 advantage in the all-time series between the teams. Last season, the teams squared off at Bulldog Field and played to a 1-1 draw in the matchup.

Samford outshot the Catamounts 18-8 on Sunday with eight of its attempt being on goal. Four of Western Carolina's eight shot attempts were on goal. The Bulldogs closed out the match with six corner kicks, while the Catamounts tallied three.

"I think Western Carolina's Caitlin Williams is one of the top goalkeepers in the league," Yelton said. "Those two saves she made on Kelly Shaffer in the first half were pretty special, and we had a couple of other good chances, but I have to give full credit to Western Carolina. They were very committed today, played very hard and Chad (Miller) did a great job of getting them ready."

The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs begin a critical regular season ending road trip against the Davidson Wildcats in Davidson, N.C. The all-important SoCon matchup will be held at Davidson's Alumni Stadium.