Box Score
Updated Samford StatsAUBURN, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team picked up its biggest win of the young 2014 season Friday as the Bulldogs defeated the 18
th-ranked Auburn Tigers, 2-1, in a momentous non-conference contest held at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
With the victory,
Samford (4-3) registered its second straight triumph against
Auburn (5-2) and improved to 5-1 in its last six matches versus Southeastern Conference opponents. In their last three seasons, the Bulldogs have picked up wins against Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, as well as two over Auburn.
All-time, Samford has also tallied key victories against Alabama and Mississippi State.
In Friday's win, sophomore
Taylor Borman proved to be the Bulldogs' hero as she connected on the game-winning goal in the 79
th minute of action. Borman's decisive score came on a penalty kick in which she beat the Tigers' goalkeeper Alyse Scott to the top shelf in the right corner. The impressive goal proved to be Borman's first of the 2014 campaign.
Samford's game-winning penalty kick was set up by sophomore forward
Jermaine Seoposenwe as she was dragged down in the box by a pair of Auburn defenders.
Seoposenwe, the Bulldogs' explosive national team player from South Africa, was fouled deep in the box as she was tracking a forwarding pass that would have put her in a good position to give Samford the lead. Once beat on the play, the Tigers' defenders were forced to foul Seoposenwe.
The Bulldogs never backed down from the nationally-ranked Auburn squad Friday. Already this season, Samford has squared off against a trio of top-20 teams in No. 3 Virginia, No. 14 South Carolina and No. 18 Auburn. The Bulldogs have also faced Cincinnati in an early-season contest.
Samford jumped out to an early 1-0 lead over the Tigers as sophomore
Malcanisha Kelley scored her third goal of the season in the 19
th minute of action. Last season, Kelley scored the game-winning goal in the Bulldogs' 1-0 home victory against Auburn.
On Kelley's crucial goal Friday, Samford's dynamic native of Childersburg gathered a forwarding pass from true freshman
Abriella Argueta and knifed her way through Auburn's entire back line en route to the score.
After working her way past a trio of Tiger defenders, Kelley faked a shot to her right and forced Scott to commit. Kelley then darted to her left past the flailing goalkeeper and sent the ball sharply into the wide open net for the goal.
Kelley, who was a First-Team All-Southern Conference selection as a true freshman last season, has already scored 11 goals in her blossoming young career.
Auburn's lone goal of Friday's match occurred in the 22
nd minute as Casie Ramsier took advantage of a defensive miscue from the Bulldogs. The score proved to be Ramsier's second of the 2014 campaign and was assisted by both Kristen Dodson and Samantha Solaru.
After Ramsier equalized the score of the match at 1-1, both teams played hard-fought, back-and-forth soccer throughout the next 55 minutes until Borman knocked home the game-winner.
Friday's victory proved to be Samford's first win over Auburn held on the road at the Auburn Soccer Complex. All-time, the Bulldogs own a 2-6-1 record against the Tigers.
Samford's win snapped Auburn's five-match winning streak on the season. After suffering a heartbreaking 2-1 setback at Clemson on Aug. 22, the Tigers breezed past Furman, 2-1, UC Irvine, 3-0, Georgia Southern, 3-0, Memphis, 3-0, and Minnesota, 3-1.
The Bulldogs own a brilliant 3-1 record when playing on the road this season.
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs continue play in their three-match non-conference road trip against the Lipscomb Bison to be held at the Lipscomb Soccer Complex in Nashville, Tenn.
For quick score updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow
@Samford_Sports on Twitter.
Box Score
Updated Samford Stats
