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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will face its third Southeastern Conference opponent of the 2013 season Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the Vanderbilt Commodores to the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium for a key early-season showdown. Admission is FREE for the match.
 
Samford (3-2) heads into the contest boasting a perfect 2-0 record at home this year. Already in 2013, the Bulldogs have registered back-to-back victories against Tennessee, 1-0, and Auburn, 1-0. With a home triumph over the Commodores, Samford would finish the regular season with a perfect 3-0 record against SEC opponents.
 
Last week, the Bulldogs traveled to the Lone Star state and competed in arduous road matches against Texas and UTSA. On Friday, Samford dropped a hard-fought 2-0 decision to Texas before earning a 2-0 shutout win at UTSA on Sunday.
 
In their key road victory against UTSA, the Bulldogs received goals from junior forward Amanda Abbott and sophomore defender Hallie Georgi en route to the win.
 
Abbott's game-winning score came in the 18^th minute and was assisted by both Anna Allen and Michelle Moll. Georgi's unassisted second-half goal occurred in the 52^nd minute and proved to be the first of her budding collegiate career.
 
The Bulldogs' true freshman goalkeeper Katie Peters registered a pair of critical saves Sunday and tallied the third shutout of her promising rookie campaign. Peters, a native of Greenfield, Ind., owns a stellar 0.80 goals-against average this season.
 
Vanderbilt (2-2-2) enters Friday's showdown with a full head of steam after shocking No. 23-ranked Wisconsin on the road over the weekend, 4-3. Just two days later, the high-powered Commodore offense then lifted Vanderbilt to a 4-4 draw at Milwaukee on Sunday.
 
Already this season, the Commodores have scored 15 goals, but have allowed their opponents to score 16. Vanderbilt has allowed at least one goal in each of its six matches this year and has given up at least three scores in four contests, including a 3-1 season-opening loss to UAB on Aug. 23.
 
Samford has tallied four goals in five matches and has allowed opponents to score a total of four goals. The Bulldogs surrendered two goals apiece to both Memphis and Texas, but have also registered shutout victories against Tennessee, Auburn and UTSA.
 
The Bulldogs have never defeated Vanderbilt, but one of the biggest triumphs in Samford history occurred against the Commodores.
 
On Nov. 11, 2005, the Bulldogs faced No. 19-ranked Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and made history by advancing past the Commodores via a penalty-kick shootout held in Nashville, Tenn. With the thrilling advancement, Samford moved on to the round of 32 where the Bulldogs faced No. 4-ranked Pepperdine.
 
In the historic 2005 meeting, the teams played to a 1-1 draw before the Bulldogs used a 5-4 advantage in a penalty-kick shootout to upend the Commodores.
 
Vanderbilt had its share of scoring opportunities in the contest, but Samford's freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters made a career-high 11 saves, including the deflection of a shot during the penalty-kick shootout. Senior Marian Wagner scored the Bulldogs' lone goal in the victory (the record-setting 26th goal of her career) and registered the deciding score in the penalty-kick shootout.
 
Wagner's goal was initiated by junior Sharon Young and continued by Cassie Applegate, who earned her first assist of the season. Rebecca Bohler, Sara Geiger, Shay Helmbock and Devon Paris also tallied penalty-kick goals. In addition to breaking the goals record of 2004 graduate Lindsay Shanks, Wagner also passed Shanks to become Samford's all-time leader in points (68).
 
Samford and Vanderbilt have squared off just once in the regular season since 2005, as the Commodores registered a 2-0 home victory on Sept. 18, 2011.
 
Following Friday's key non-conference contest, the Samford soccer team will next be in action Tuesday as the Bulldogs travel to Kennesaw State for a tough road test slated to begin at 6 p.m. (CDT).
 
For the most up-to-date information on Samford Athletics please follow @Samford_Sports and @SamfordSoccer on Twitter.

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