Sept. 2, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The Samford University soccer team will continue play in its early-season, five-match homestand Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the Southern Miss Golden Eagles to Bulldog Field for a non-conference showdown.

Samford (0-2-1) heads into the contest with an 0-0-1 record at home this season. In their home opener Friday, the Bulldogs played to a 2-2 draw with Mercer. Samford jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the match with goals from freshmen Katie Proud and Brittany Hoffman, but Mercer rallied with two late scores to force overtime.

Neither team was able to tally a goal in overtime as the non-conference foes finished in a 2-2 draw.

The Bulldogs opened the 2010 season with a pair of road losses against Alabama 2-1 and 18th-ranked Memphis 3-0. Following Friday's match versus Southern Miss (1-1), Samford will continue its five-match homestand with contests against UAB (Sunday at 6 p.m.), Kennesaw State (Sept. 10) and Tennessee Tech (Sept. 12).

Southern Miss enters its matchup with the Bulldogs looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss against Mississippi State on Sunday.

In the loss, the Golden Eagles fell behind early as Mississippi State tallied a pair of first-half goals. Southern Miss then ramped up its offensive attack in the second half, but failed to score a goal as it suffered its first loss of the season.

The Golden Eagles competed in their season opener Friday and cruised to a 4-0 victory against Mississippi Valley State. At home in Hattiesburg, Miss., the teams played to a scoreless first half, but then Southern Miss exploded for four second-half goals from Jordan Wagner, Jana Mason, Elisha Tarbell and Mischa Tice.

Southern Miss holds a 3-1 all-time record against Samford and has outscored the Bulldogs by a total of 15-6. In the most recent meeting between the teams held in 2007, Samford rallied for a 3-0 victory against the Golden Eagles in a match held in Birmingham.

Southern Miss' three victories in the all-time series occurred Sept. 2, 1997 (5-1), Sept. 20, 1997 (7-1) and Sept. 5, 2003 (1-0).

Following Friday's home match against Southern Miss, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 6 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs host their cross-town rival UAB Blazers in a key regional matchup to be held at Bulldog Field.

GameTracker - Southern Miss at Samford