BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will play at home for the first time of the 2012 regular season Sunday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the UAB Blazers to the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium for a key cross-town rivalry match.
 
“This is going to be another tough outing for us,” said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. “UAB is an extremely well-coached team and I know that they will have a solid plan for us. I think that our squad has gotten better in each game that we've played this season and we need to continue our growth. I expect tomorrow's contest to be a very physical, tough battle between two really good teams.”
 
Samford (0-3) heads into Sunday's home-opening contest looking for its first win of the season. The Bulldogs have arguably faced one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation this year with road matches at Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn.
 
To open the season, the Bulldogs dropped a 4-0 decision at Tennessee, but then looked much better last week in a slight 2-1 loss at Alabama.
 
In Friday's 2-0 defeat at Auburn, Samford allowed an early goal and a late score in the early-season, in-state matchup held at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs' Melissa Montgomery, a highly-touted sophomore goalkeeper from Georgetown, Texas, made her first career start in goal Friday and finished the contest with a match-high seven saves.
 
Samford finished its contest at Auburn with eight shot attempts, as compared to 17 from the Tigers. The Bulldogs turned in their best offensive performance of the season and finished with Katie Danehy, Trine Taule and Amanda Abbott at two shot attempts each.
 
UAB (0-4) also enters Sunday's match looking for its first victory of the 2012 campaign. Similar to Samford, the Blazers have also faced a very arduous open to its non-conference schedule. UAB opened the year with a pair of tough road losses at Oregon State, 1-0, and Oregon, 2-1, before dropping a 4-2 home decision Friday against the third-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls.
 
In the defeat, UAB allowed Oklahoma State to take a 2-1 lead at the intermission. The Cowgirls then added goals in the 61st and 68th minutes of the match. In the 83rd minute, Blazer sophomore Johanna Liney beat out a number of defenders in front of the Oklahoma State net to score her first goal of the season and set the final result.
 
Oklahoma State outshot UAB, 20-11, and the 11 shot attempts proved to be the Blazers' most shot attempts in a single game this season.
 
Sunday's match will mark only the fifth time that Samford and UAB have squared off on the pitch. The all-time series is knotted at 2-2 with the home team being victorious in each of the contests. The cross-town rivalry began in 2007 as Samford rallied for a thrilling 2-1 victory at Bulldog field. Then, in 2008, UAB earned a 1-0 victory at home at West Campus Field.
 
The teams next met in 2010 when Samford tallied a similar 1-0 triumph at Bulldog Field. In last season's matchup hosted by UAB, the Blazers' registered a 1-0 victory as Pascale Pinard tallied the game-winning goal during the 78^th minute in the second half.
 
Following Sunday's home-opening contest, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 5 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs square off against the Toledo Rockets in the opening match of the 2012 Cardinal Classic, which is being hosted by the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky.