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GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The Samford University soccer team's arduous four-match road swing will feature its toughest test of the 2014 Southern Conference season Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs square off against the defending league champion Furman Paladins in a critical conference showdown to be held at Eugene E. Stone III Stadium.
 
Samford (9-6, 4-1 SoCon) heads into the contest riding the positive momentum of a four-match road winning streak. Since suffering a 2-0 road setback at Lipscomb on Sept. 14, the Bulldogs have rattled off consecutive road victories against Austin Peay, 3-1, Chattanooga, 3-0, VMI, 5-0, and UNCG, 1-0.
 
On Sunday, Samford handed UNCG its first SoCon loss of the 2014 season as the Bulldogs earned a hard-fought 1-0 triumph on the road at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 
Samford's Malcanisha Kelley scored the game-winning goal in the 74^th minute of play to secure the victory. Kelley's score proved to be her sixth of the season and the 14^th of her young, up-and-coming career. Just a sophomore, Kelley is already ranked in the school's top-10 listing for goals scored.
 
The Bulldogs' talented youth was definitely on display Sunday in their fourth-consecutive road victory. Anna Maddox, Samford's 6-foot true freshman goalkeeper, pulled down a career-high 11 saves and earned her third shutout of the 2014 season.
 
For her efforts, Maddox was named the SoCon's Player of the Week on Tuesday for all matches held Oct. 6-12. The award was selected by the league office. She compiled 12 saves and didn't allow a single goal to pick up a pair of league wins in the net for the Bulldogs last week. Maddox turned in a 0.00 goals-against average in 154 minutes of work.
 
Maddox, Samford's talented 6-foot true freshman from Warner Robins, Ga., pulled down 11 saves against UNCG and faced a total of 16 shots. The Bulldogs were outshot by the Spartans, 16-11, but Maddox's match-saving stops proved to be the difference in Samford's critical road victory.
 
Maddox earned her third career shutout against UNCG on Sunday and shared for another in the Bulldogs' 5-0 win at VMI on Friday. Versus VMI, Maddox was replaced in the game with 25:56 remaining in the match once the scored reached 5-0.
 
Maddox is currently ranked third in the SoCon with 70 saves in 15 contests this season. She is also tied for third in shutouts.
 
Furman (8-3-2, 2-1-2 SoCon) enters Friday's match with a full head of steam after cruising to a 4-2 win at Wofford on Sunday. In their victory, the Paladins' India Robinson assisted on three goals en route to the two-goal triumph held at Snyder Field in Spartanburg, S.C.
 
Robinson helped put Furman in front in the 16th minute by feeding a pass to junior Kristen Baker who hammered a shot past Wofford goalkeeper Kara Boggs from outside the box at the 15:47 mark.
 
Less than four minutes later, a deflected shot fell into the path of Molly Dwyer in the box and the freshman fired a shot into the back of the net at 19:57 to double the Paladin lead at 2-0.
 
Wofford pulled within a score in the 40th minute. Rachel Fenner won the ball on a clearance by the Furman defense and lofted a 30-yard shot into the upper corner to put the Terriers on the board.
 
In the second half, Robinson set up the eventual winning tally at the 49:51 mark. The Camden, S.C., native played a pass into the path of sophomore Carlie Couch and the forward blasted a shot into the right corner on a one-v-one against Boggs.
 
Junior Stephanie DeVita extended the Paladin lead to 4-1 at the 81:46 mark with her eighth goal of the season. Robinson picked out DeVita before the Simpsonville, S.C., product snuck a shot into the corner from a tight angle.
 
Wofford added a late goal as Maureen Buff converted from the penalty spot after the Terriers' Vicki Hill was tackled in the box.
 
Samford owns a 5-2-1 advantage against Furman in the all-time series between the teams. Both of the Bulldogs' losses to the Paladins occurred last year. In the regular-season contest held Oct. 6, in Greenville, Samford dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision. Then, in the Bulldogs' final match of the season, the Paladins ended Samford's SoCon Tournament run, 2-0, on Nov. 8.
 
Following Friday's key SoCon showdown at Furman, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs conclude their four-match league road swing with a battle against the Wofford Terriers to be held at Snyder Field (2,250).
 
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