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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will square off against the Wofford Terriers Thursday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs conclude their four-match homestand with yet another crucial Southern Conference contest to be held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
Samford (7-2-1, 1-0-1 SoCon) has proven to be a tough team to beat this season, especially when playing at home in Birmingham. The 2013 Bulldogs have already compiled a 5-0-1 record at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium with victories against Tennessee, 1-0, Auburn, 1-0, Vanderbilt, 3-2 2OT, Georgia State, 4-2 and Davidson, 3-0.
 
In Sunday's SoCon triumph over Davidson, the Bulldogs received a pair of key goals from junior forward Amanda Abbott and a career-first score from true freshman Anna Allen.
 
During Samford's recent 5-1-1 stretch, Abbott has played a pivotal role for the Bulldogs by scoring five goals on just 12 total shot attempts.
 
Abbott, a lightning-quick native of Marietta, Ga., only started one match in September, but proved to be Samford's top offensive catalyst despite coming off the bench. The Bulldogs' 5-foot-6 forward finished the month with five goals on 12 shots, and added game-winning goals versus UTSA, Kennesaw State and Davidson. Abbott also registered a key assist in Samford's 4-2 home victory against Georgia State.
 
In just over two weeks' time, Abbott has turned in a pair of two-goal matches. She scored two goals against Kennesaw State on Sept. 17, and then added another pair of scores Sunday in the Bulldogs' pivotal 3-0 triumph over Davidson.
 
Additionally, junior goalkeeper Melissa Montgomery tallied four critical saves for Samford on Sunday and registered her second shared shutout of the 2013 campaign. The Bulldogs' native of Georgetown, Texas, has not allowed a goal this season.
 
Wofford (5-2-1, 1-0 SoCon) heads into Thursday's showdown as one of the hottest teams in the SoCon.
 
The Terriers have been victorious in five-consecutive outings and have not been defeated since Aug. 30, when they dropped a 2-0 decision at Coastal Carolina. Since then, Wofford has reeled off consecutive victories against UNC Asheville, 1-0, Gardner-Webb, 2-1, Presbyterian College, 2-1, Francis Marion, 3-0, and The Citadel, 2-0.
 
Wofford's leading scorer this season is sophomore forward Chloe Brackett. A native of Chattanooga, Tenn., Brackett has already tallied a team-high four goals in 2013. Junior midfielder Maureen Buff is ranked second on the Terriers' squad with two goals scored.
 
The strength of Wofford's team this season is its defense. The Terriers have only allowed a total of five goals this year and senior goalkeeper Kimberly Cohn enters Thursday's match with four shutouts and a stellar 0.60 goals-against average.
 
The Bulldogs have never been defeated by Wofford and own a 4-0-3 advantage in the all-time series between the teams. Samford is in the midst of a three-match winning streak against the Terriers in which the Bulldogs have outscored Wofford by a total of 7-1.
 
Last season, Samford registered a 3-1 road victory over the Terriers held in Spartanburg, S.C. The Bulldogs exploded for three second-half goals in a span of 12 minutes to earn a pivotal 3-1 come-from-behind victory on the road at Snyder Field.
 
Samford trailed 1-0 midway through the second half before Brittany Hoffman, Michelle Moll and Trine Taule all scored goals in a span of 11 minutes and three seconds. Hoffman, the Bulldogs' native of Knoxville, Tenn., tallied the equalizing goal in the 73^rd minute.
 
Less than five minutes later, Samford's Moll registered the game-winning goal at 77:31, as she rifled home a shot from 10 yards out into the bottom left corner. The score was Moll's second of the season, both of which have been game-winners.
 
Taule extended Samford's lead to 3-1 with a goal in the 84^th minute of play. The score was her second of the season and was set up beautifully by senior midfielder Shanika Thomas. On the decisive goal, Thomas sent in a perfectly-placed crossing pass that Taule easily collected and blasted into the top right corner.
 
Following Thursday's contest, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to Greenville, S.C., for a huge SoCon matchup against the conference's preseason-favorite Furman Paladins. Sunday's showdown will be held at Furman's Eugene E. Stone, III Stadium (3,000).
 
For the most up-to-date information on Samford soccer please follow @Samford_Sports and @SamfordSoccer on Twitter.

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