Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The first-place Samford University soccer team used goals from Michelle Moll, Amanda Abbott and Trine Taule on Friday to defeat the Western Carolina Catamounts, 3-2, in a key Southern Conference tilt held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
“This was a really good win for us, because Western Carolina is a tough team,” said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. “I thought that Chad (Miller) did an outstanding job of getting his team ready to play tonight and his players showed a lot of character by never getting down, even when they trailed in the second half. It was a typical SoCon match on a Friday night. It was not easy.”
 
With the win, Samford (7-5-1, 4-0-1 SoCon) remained undefeated in conference play this season and extended its undefeated streak against SoCon opponents to 19-consecutive matches. The Bulldogs have not been beaten by a conference rival in nearly two years, dating back to Nov. 7, 2010.
 
Midway through the second half of Friday's contest, the score of the match was knotted at 2-2. Samford's Amanda Abbott had just given the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage in the 59^th minute of play, but Western Carolina (5-7-1, 1-3-1 SoCon) quickly answered with a goal from McKenzie Hallstrom at 62:14 to even the score at 2-2.
 
The second half continued to be a back-and-forth battle featuring quality scoring chances from both sides when Samford's Taule headed home the game-winning goal with less than 21 minutes remaining. On the Bulldogs' pretty, decisive score, sophomore Ariane Lukens sent in a deep centering pass from the right flank that Taule perfectly timed and headed home to the left of the goalkeeper.
 
The goal was Taule's third of the 2012 season and the 14^th of her Samford career. With her score, the Bulldogs' junior native of Frekhaug, Norway, moved into a tie for ninth place on the school's all-time goals list. Lukens, Samford's sophomore transfer from South Carolina, registered her first Bulldog assist on the play.
 
Following Taule's decisive goal, Western Carolina continued its high-tempo offensive attack and the Bulldogs' goalkeeper Melissa Montgomery was able to come up with some huge saves. Montgomery, only a sophomore, improved her record in goal this season to 5-1-1 and finished the victory with two stops.
 
Western Carolina suffered its third-consecutive loss Friday and dropped to 1-5-1 against Samford. Since recording their lone victory against the Bulldogs in 2008, the Catamounts have lost four straight matches versus Samford.
 
In the 33^rd minute of the match, Western Carolina's Christine Kaznowski registered her second goal of the season to give her squad an early 1-0 lead.
 
Less than five minutes later, Samford's Moll drilled home a cannon-like shot from 35 yards out to even the score at 1-1. Moll's goal, which was taken from the middle of the field, proved to be a line drive that never got above eight feet off the ground and was placed neatly into the upper right corner of the goal.
 
The unassisted score was Moll's third of the 2012 season.
 
Early in the second half, Samford's Abbott scored her third goal of the year to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage. On her goal, Abbott placed an arcing, hooking shot from 10 yards out that was just over the head of Western Carolina's goalkeeper, Jennifer Lauer.
 
Samford's match Friday also marked the Bulldogs' annual “Kickin' it for Kids with Cancer” game. The athletic department raised nearly $2,000 by auctioning off the game-worn green jerseys starting at $40.
 
“Kickin' it for Kids with Cancer” t-shirts were also sold for a donation of $5, while concession cups and green Celebrate Home Candles were also sold for $5. All proceeds went to benefit the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer.
 
“Tonight was a very special night and I'm glad we were able to raise some money for the Austin Hatcher foundation,” Yelton said. “It's a very special event to promote finding a cure for pediatric cancer and it allows our players and our fans to have an opportunity to support this great cause. It was an amazing night and we really appreciate all the support that we received.”
 
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 2 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs continue their key conference homestand versus the Appalachian State Mountaineers at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.