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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team used a thrilling first-half goal from true freshman Malcanisha Kelley on Sunday to knock off the visiting Tennessee Lady Vols, 1-0, in a hotly-contested matchup held at the Samford Track and Soccer Complex.
 
The win was Samford's first against Tennessee (1-1) as the Bulldogs moved to 1-1 in the all-time series between the teams. Last season, the Lady Vols posted a 4-0 triumph over Samford (1-1) in Knoxville, Tenn.
 
The Bulldogs have now defeated four Southeastern Conference opponents in their history; a list that includes Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Tennessee. Although Samford has never defeated Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs advanced past the Commodores via penalty kicks in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
 
Samford will face another SEC opponent Friday as the Bulldogs welcome the Auburn Tigers to the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium for a pivotal non-conference battle.
 
"This is a huge win for us, because Tennessee is a great side," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "They just beat Oklahoma on Friday, 3-1, so this was definitely a big result for us at home in front of a great crowd. This was a fantastic start for us. We weren't great at home last season, so hopefully this gets us off on the right foot."
 
Samford was outshot by Tennessee, 12-11, on Sunday, but the Bulldogs' Kelley tallied the most important shot attempt of the evening in the 10^th minute.
 
On the game-winning goal, Kelley, Samford's dynamic 5-foot-10 forward from Childersburg, raced under a perfectly-placed pass from Jordan Johnson and beat Tennessee's defender to the box. Kelley was then one-on-one with goalkeeper Julie Eckel and beat the Lady Vols' junior into the inside left post. The goal was Kelley's first of her collegiate career.
 
"Mac's just a special player and she was able to get loose, and she finished it well," Yelton said. "I thought she was going to score another one there in the first half, and Trine (Taule) also came close to scoring one as well. I thought we really played well in the first half and in the second half, we were able to battle and hang tough. It's a great win and we're definitely happy with it."
 
Tennessee's offense was led by Hannah Wilkinson's six shot attempts. The Lady Vols' 5-foot-11 junior forward is a member of the New Zealand National Team and one of the top strikers in the SEC. Caroline Brown also rattled off four shot attempts for Tennessee on Sunday.
 
In goal for Samford, true freshman Katie Peters finished with five key saves and earned her the first shutout of her budding collegiate career. With 12:07 remaining in the match, Peters secured the victory for the Bulldogs as she made a diving one-on-one stop against Tennessee's Brown.
 
"I thought Katie made two outstanding saves tonight," said Yelton. "The shot off the pass that got served in the box in the first half that she pushed wide, as well as the big-time one-v-one there at the end of the match were both huge saves for us. She definitely proved why she is one of the best two recruits at that position in the nation. We're really happy for her and she did a great job of keeping a clean sheet. We now have three halves under our belt without allowing a goal."
 
For the second straight match, Samford's starting lineup included five true freshmen. Along with Kelley and Peters, the Bulldogs' Taylor Borman, Anna Allen and Molly Pittman also earned starts Sunday. Borman and Pittman both tallied two shot attempts, while Allen also rattled off a shot.
 
Samford's defense played strong throughout the match and withheld 10 Lady Vol corner kicks.
 
"I grew in East Tennessee and was a Tennessee fan growing up, so this is definitely a big win for us," Yelton said. "It's probably a bigger win for my mom and dad, and I'm sure my dad can't wait to take the pulpit next week and brag on his son. It's a quality win for us and we know that Tennessee will leave here and earn a lot more wins this season and that should help us down the road when it comes to getting in at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament."
 
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs face off against their second straight SEC opponent in the Auburn Tigers. The in-state matchup will be held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
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