Sept. 11, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University soccer team will stake its claim for the championship title of the 2010 Samford Invitational Sunday at 2 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs square off against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in the final match of the four-team, two-day competition being held at Bulldog Field.

"I watched Tennessee Tech play on Friday and I think they are a very talented bunch," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "I know that their record doesn't really match their talent level right now, but that's because they've already played against some very tough teams. If you look at their stats and the end results, they've been in every match, except for one and they earned a big victory Friday against Georgia Southern."

Samford (3-2-1) heads into Sunday's contest riding the positive momentum of a four-match undefeated streak and a three-match winning streak. Since opening the season with hard-fought losses at Alabama and No. 18 Memphis, the Bulldogs have bounced back with a draw against Mercer 2-2 and consecutive home victories versus Southern Miss 4-0, UAB 1-0 and Kennesaw State 2-0.

In Friday's shutout win against Kennesaw State, Samford's Katie Proud and Paige Lanter both scored goals in the triumph. The Bulldogs' starting goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead also made a pair of key stops en route to her third straight shutout.

Samford owns a 3-0-1 record at home this season and Sunday's match will be the Bulldogs' final contest of a five-match homestand. During the stretch, Samford played to a 2-2 draw with Mercer, then defeated Southern Miss, UAB and Kennesaw State.

"We love playing at home here in Birmingham, that's a definite," said Yelton. "We get great support here. Our fans are outstanding and the support we get here at home is fantastic. I think that our players really thrive on that excitement and they understand that we get these good crowds that they're worth of a great performance."

Tennessee Tech (2-4) enters Sunday's match coming off a 2-0 victory against Georgia Southern on Friday. In the win, the Golden Eagles received goals from Kris Cambron and Taylor Hicks to defeat the Southern Conference opponent. The victory was Tennessee Tech's second in a row after they also beat UNC Asheville on Sept. 5.

"Daniel (Brizard) has done an outstanding job there with that team," said Yelton. "Tennessee Tech is a sturdy bunch and we know that it's going to be a tough match for us on Sunday."

Samford owns a 7-2-1 advantage in its all-time series against Tennessee Tech. The former Ohio Valley Conference rivals last faced each other Oct. 19, 2007, as the Bulldogs exploded for a 5-0 victory. Samford holds a five-match winning streak against the Golden Eagles and Tennessee Tech's last win in the series occurred Oct. 30, 2002, in a 3-2 decision held in Cookeville, Tenn.

Following Sunday's tournament finale against Tennessee Tech, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to Auburn for a critical in-state battle against the Auburn Tigers.

GameTracker - Georgia Southern vs. Kennesaw State - 11:30 a.m. (CDT)
GameTracker - Tennessee Tech at Samford - 2 p.m. (CDT)