Box Score
Samford Stats

CULLOWHEE, N.C. -- With less than three minutes to play in regulation Sunday, and the score deadlocked at 1-1, Mercer's Brianna Stampler looped a high corner kick deep into the box where the Bears' Washida Blackman sent a header towards goal. Blackman's shot attempt was blocked by a Samford defender, but the ball bounced awkwardly off the turf and found the back of the net.
 
The score gave Mercer (14-5-2) a late 2-1 advantage with just 2:42 left to play in the championship match of the 2014 Southern Conference Tournament. In the waning seconds of action, regular-season champion Samford (14-8) battled hard to equalize the contest, but junior Ariane Lukens' last-second shot attempt was saved by Bears' goalkeeper Maggie Cropp.
 
The own goal proved to be the difference in Sunday's title match as Mercer held on for the 2-1 win. With the victory, the Bears earned the championship title of the SoCon Tournament and received the conference's automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Championship.
 
Samford suffered its first loss in nearly a month Sunday and had its five-match losing streak snapped. The Bulldogs are now 7-2-2 all-time against the Bears.
 
Neither team scored in the first half of play Sunday as both Samford and Mercer's defenses shined in the opening 45 minutes of action.
 
Early in the second period, the Bears struck first as Tess Patton notched her fourth goal of the season on a penalty kick in the 48^th minute to give Mercer a 1-0 lead.
 
The Bulldogs then returned the favor just over 10 minutes later as sophomore All-SoCon performer Jermaine Seoposenwe evened the match at 1-1 with a penalty-kick score of her own. The goal proved to be Seoposenwe's ninth of the season as she upped her school-record, single-season points total to 31.
 
Seoposenwe attempted a total of four penalty kicks in 2014 and connected on all four of them. She was named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team on Sunday and was joined by teammates Anna Allen and Katie Danehy.
 
Down the stretch in Sunday's SoCon Championship match, neither team scored for a nearly 30-minute stretch as both squads tightened up their defenses stances. Mercer finished the contest with 16 total shot attempts, while Samford added 14 attempts of its own.
 
Mercer's game-winning goal was set up in the 88^th minute on its eighth corner kick of the match. The Bulldogs finished the game with five corner kicks.
 
Samford's offensive attack was paced by sophomore Malcanisha Kelley. Kelley, the Bulldogs' two-time All-SoCon performer from Childersburg, Alabama, rattled off four shot attempts, while Seoposenwe followed with three and senior Amanda Abbott added two.
 
The Samford University soccer team concluded its 2014 campaign as regular-season SoCon champions and with a 14-8 overall record. The Bulldogs earned a key 2-1 victory over 18^th-ranked Auburn and posted a 7-2 record in conference play.
 
Samford finished the season with five players earning All-SoCon honors and Head Coach Todd Yelton was named the SoCon Coach of the Year.
 
Next season, the Bulldogs will be without the efforts of current seniors Amanda Abbott, Danehy, Brittany Hoffman and Melissa Montgomery, but will return eight starters from this year's championship squad. Samford will also boast an additional nine returning letterwinners.
 
SoCon All-Tournament Team
 
Cecilia Re, ETSU
Sarah Zadrazil, ETSU
Alyssa Althoff, Furman
Hannah Stanifer, Furman
Anna Allen, Samford
Katie Danehy, Samford
Jermaine Seoposenwe, Samford
Washida Blackman, Mercer
Rachel Buffalo, Mercer
Maggie Cropp, Mercer
Tess Patton, Mercer
 
Most Outstanding Player – Maggie Cropp, Mercer

Box Score
Samford Stats