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LEXINGTON, Va. -- The Samford University soccer team will embark upon its longest road trip of the 2014 campaign this weekend as the Bulldogs travel to face Southern Conference opponents VMI on Friday and UNCG on Sunday. Samford's road test against the VMI Keydets is slated to begin at 3 p.m. (CDT) at Patchin Field.
 
"We are only 2-4 at home this season, so maybe we want to go on the road," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "VMI is a really tough place to play and UNCG has always been a traditional rival of ours, and now they have a new coach, so I'm sure there will be some new twists to that matchup as well. The SoCon is a tough league and this season is going to be as demanding as it ever was."
 
Samford (7-6, 2-1 SoCon) heads into Friday's matchup looking to maintain its positive momentum from a key 4-1 home victory against Western Carolina on Sunday. With the win, the Bulldogs handed the Catamounts their first loss in exactly a month.
 
In the victory, Samford scored two goals in the opening 20 minutes of action to stun the defensive-minded Western Carolina squad en route to a quick 2-0 advantage.
 
The Bulldogs' first goal was scored by senior midfielder Ariane Lukens on a brilliant header from 10 yards out. On the score, sophomore forward Malcanisha Kelley served a cross deep into the box from the right side and Lukens angled it back to the top right corner from her position on the left third of the field.
 
The early, momentum-building goal proved to be Lukens' second of the season and gave Samford a 1-0 lead just 12:48 into the match. Kelley's assist was her first of two on the day as she upped her points total on the year to 13.
 
Unbelievably, Samford's second goal might have been even prettier than its first.
 
Exactly seven minutes after Lukens' tally, the Bulldogs' Jermaine Seoposenwe fired a one-time, left-footed laser from 20 yards out perfectly into the top right corner of the net. Seoposenwe's stellar goal was set up nicely by Heather Lacy as she registered the first assist of her Samford career.
 
The Bulldogs garnered their critical 2-0 lead early in the first half and took the advantage into halftime. In the opening period, Western Carolina outshot Samford, 6-4.
 
Early in Sunday's second half, the Bulldogs' offensive expertise continued to excel as senior Amanda Abbott scored her fourth goal of the season at 52:34 to give Samford a 3-0 lead. On the goal, Abbott collected a quick through pass from Kelley and rifled a shot high into the net directly above goalkeeper Carly Tintsman.
 
Samford added its fourth goal of the match in the 61^st minute as Seoposenwe converted a penalty-kick opportunity. The Bulldogs boast a perfect 3-for-3 conversion rate on penalty kicks this season, with two of them coming off the foot of Seoposenwe.
 
So far this year, Samford boasts a 5-2 record when playing on the road. The Bulldogs are also in the midst of a two-match winning streak with back-to-back road victories against Austin Peay, 3-1, and Chattanooga, 3-0. Samford has also earned tough road wins versus No. 18 Auburn, 2-1, Jacksonville State, 3-2, and Georgia State, 2-1, this season.
 
VMI (2-9-1, 1-2 SoCon) enters Friday's contest with aspirations of ending a three-match winless streak. Since topping The Citadel, 3-2, on Sept. 26, the Keydets have suffered defeats against Mercer, 4-0, and UNCG, 4-1, while earning a 1-1 draw at Delaware State.
 
VMI opened its 2014 campaign with a 2-1 home victory against Howard, but then dropped its next seven matches. So far this season, the Keydets have been outscored 30-8 and own a 1-4 record at home.
 
In its most recent outing, a 4-1 loss to UNCG, VMI jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but the Spartans used three second-half goals to take a decisive lead. It was the first meeting between the programs and was VMI's first home SoCon match in program history.
 
Kristen Whitehurst struck first for the Keydets in the 20th minute of play and the match went to halftime tied, 1-1. In the final stanza, a 50^th-minute goal by Rebecca Burrows put UNCG up 2-1. The Spartans would tack on goals in the 55th and 71st minutes to account for the final margin.
 
In its victory, UNCG held a 19-7 edge in shots and a 5-4 advantage in corner kicks. Emily Marbury made five saves in goal for the Keydets, while Spartan starting goalkeeper Chloe Buehler stopped one shot on goal.
 
Samford and VMI will be meeting on the pitch for the first time Friday.
 
Following its key test at VMI, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs continue play in their arduous four-match SoCon road trip against the UNCG Spartans to be held at the UNCG Soccer Stadium.
 
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