Box Score BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In a Southern Conference matchup that featured the top two teams in the league, Samford and Appalachian State fought to a 1-1 draw Sunday in a hotly-contested duel held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
Samford's Adrianne Mancino notched her third goal of the season at 65:59 to even the score at 1-1. Appalachian State's first-half tally was scored by Kebrina Keys in the 38^th minute, her first of the season.
 
Samford (7-5-2, 4-0-2 SoCon) dominated the time of possession Sunday and outshot Appalachian State (7-5-1, 4-1-1 SoCon), 27-5. The Bulldogs rattled off 11 shots in the first half, 13 attempts in the second period and a trio of shots in extra time.
 
Samford out-tallied the Mountaineers in corner kicks, 4-2, while Appalachian State was whistled for four more fouls than the Bulldogs, 17-13. Samford's starting goalkeeper Melissa Montgomery moved her record to 5-1-2 with Sunday's result. The Bulldogs' native of Georgetown, Texas, finished with two key saves, while Appalachian State's Megan Roberson registered a career-high 15 saves.
 
Of Samford's 27 shot attempts, 16 were on goal.
 
Sophomore Brittany Hoffman paced the Bulldogs' offensive attack with six shot attempts. Samford's Mancino and Michelle Moll both tallied four shots apiece, while Shanika Thomas, Jordan Johnson and Joy Grove all finished with three attempts.
 
With Sunday's draw, Samford will remain atop the SoCon standings with 14 total points. The Bulldogs control their own destiny with five matches remaining in the regular season. Next week, Samford will travel to Charleston, S.C., for pivotal conference contests against The Citadel and College of Charleston.
 
Appalachian State had its four-match winning streak snapped, but extended its undefeated stretch to five-consecutive outings. Samford's undefeated streak against SoCon opponents, which dates back to Nov. 7, 2010, was extended to 20 straight matches with Sunday's draw.
 
The Mountaineers currently share second place in the SoCon standings with UNCG at 13 points apiece. Davidson sits in fourth place with a total of 12 points.
 
Following Keys' first-half goal Sunday, Appalachian State took a 1-0 lead into halftime. Samford outshot the Mountaineers 11-1 in the opening 45 minutes of play, but Appalachian State's lone shot attempt of the period proved to be a goal. Keys' score was assisted by freshman Jenni Loveless, her first of the season.
 
Throughout the match, Samford's scoring barrages were incessant and often, but Appalachian State's Roberson was able to come up with a number of outstanding saves to hold the Bulldogs at bay.
 
In the 66^th minute of play, the Bulldogs' Mancino was able to slice a shot from the right baseline that found its way past Roberson. On the goal, which equalized Sunday's match at 1-1, Mancino stole the ball from a Mountaineer defender on the right flank. She then outran another defender and charged towards the baseline.
 
Mancino, Samford's All-SoCon senior defender from Lancaster, Pa., was approximately two yards from the baseline when she turned and blasted a kick to the far post. Her angle on the shot was definitely not ideal, but the wind was blowing strongly in Samford's favor and the ball caromed off the left post and into the back of the net.
 
Sunday's draw marked Samford's second tie of the 2012 season. On Sept. 27, the Bulldogs played to a 2-2 draw versus Furman. Appalachian State played its fourth overtime match in its last five outings.
 
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 3 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs begin a critical two-match road trip against The Citadel Bulldogs in a SoCon showdown to be held at WLI Field in Charleston, S.C.