Box Score
Box Score

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Samford University soccer team suffered its first defeat in exactly one month Sunday as the Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision against the preseason Southern Conference favorite Furman Paladins on the road at Eugene E. Stone, III Stadium.
 
With Sunday's one-goal defeat, Samford (8-3-1, 2-1-1 SoCon) had its seven-match undefeated streak snapped and lost its first match since Sept. 6, when they dropped a 2-0 setback at Texas. So far this season, the Bulldogs own a 6-0-1 record at home and a 2-3 mark when playing on the road.
 
Furman (9-2-1, 3-0 SoCon) extended its winning streak to six-consecutive matches Sunday and increased its undefeated stretch to nine straight outings. The Paladins have outscored their 12 opponents by a combined score of 34-8 this season and have posted a combined 18-1 score line in SoCon victories over The Citadel, Chattanooga and Samford.
 
Sunday marked the first time in school history that Furman defeated the Bulldogs. Heading into the highly-anticipated showdown, Samford held a 5-0-1 advantage in the all-time series.
 
Neither team scored a goal in the first half of play as the Bulldogs outshot the Paladins, 7-4, in the opening 45 minutes of action.
 
Furman's Carlie Couch opened the scoring in the 46^th minute by tallying her fourth goal of the season. Couch gave the Paladins a 1-0 lead by gathering a through-pass from Stephanie DeVita and placing a breakaway shot into the left corner of the net. DeVita was awarded with an assist on the play.
 
Following Couch's goal, Samford immediately answered with a score of its own as true freshman Malcanisha Kelley notched an unassisted goal from 16 yards out. The score was Kelley's third of the season and equalized the match at 1-1 in the 51^st minute.
 
Sunday's game-winning goal occurred at exactly 66:41 and came off the foot of Furman senior midfielder Dee Makris. Makris, a native of Vestavia Hills, Ala., doomed her hometown team as she registered the decisive score in the 67^th minute of play.
 
Makris' game-winner came off a crossing pass that was touched into position by DeVita. The Paladins' Kristen Baker was also credited with an assist on the goal.
 
Samford outshot Furman, 11-10, on Sunday and won the corner kick battle, 5-4. Both goalkeepers; the Bulldogs' Melissa Montgomery and the Paladins' Rose Hull finished with three saves apiece.
 
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs continue their midseason three-match road swing against the Western Carolina Catamounts in yet another key league contest to be held in Cullowhee, N.C.
 
For the most up-to-date information on Samford soccer please follow @Samford_Sports and @SamfordSoccer on Twitter.

Box Score