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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will compete in its final home match of the 2015 regular season Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs square off against the Chattanooga Mocs in a Senior Night showdown to be held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. Admission is FREE.
 
Samford's historic senior class comprised of Hallie Georgi, Alissa Hansen and Kinsey Sessions will be honored prior to the match with a special Senior Night presentation.
 
Additionally, Dreamcakes Bakery in Homewood will be giving away FREE brownies while supplies last.
 
Samford (11-4, 6-0 SoCon) enters the match as the first-place team in the SoCon. The Bulldogs boast an unblemished 6-0 record in league play this season and are in the midst of a seven-match winning streak. Samford owns an impressive 8-3 record at home this year and has not been defeated in SoCon action since Oct. 19, 2014.
 
The Bulldogs have not allowed a single goal in conference play and have outscored their league opponents by a score of 17-0.
 
Additionally, Samford has already tallied 36 goals scored this year and are nationally ranked in three major offensive categories. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 5 in points (107), No. 6 in assists (35) and No. 7 in goals (36).
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Chattanooga (3-10-2, 1-4-1 SoCon) heads into Friday's contest with aspirations of snapping a two-match losing streak. After earning a 2-1 league win over The Citadel, 2-1, on Oct. 6, the Mocs have lost consecutive home games against UNCG, 3-0, and VMI, 2-1.
 
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
The Bulldogs own an 8-1 all-time record against Chattanooga and are in the midst of a seven-match winning streak versus the Mocs. The Bulldogs' lone loss in the series occurred Sept. 21, 1999. Since then, Samford has compiled an unblemished 7-0 record against its Southern Rail rivals. Last season, the Bulldogs earned a 3-0 victory on the road in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
 
LAST SEASON'S MEETING
Samford opened its 2014 SoCon schedule in impressive fashion last year as the Bulldogs used a pair of goals from Malcanisha Kelley en route to a decisive 3-0 road victory against the Mocs held at Finlay Stadium.
 
Kelley, the Bulldogs' athletic All-SoCon performer from Childersburg, scored her first of two goals just 4:12 into the match as she tallied Samford's game-winning score on a three-yard header off a pass from Virginia McNeill. Kelley's second goal of the afternoon was added in the 63^rd minute of play to extend Samford's decisive lead to 3-0.
 
The Bulldogs' second goal last was scored by midfielder Ariane Lukens in the 49^th minute of action. Just 3:33 into the second half, Lukens gathered a brilliant crossing pass into the box from sophomore Taylor Borman and knocked home her second goal of the season.
 
RECORDS WATCH
Samford's Kelley is just one goal shy of tying the school's all-time career record of 26, as well as the Bulldogs' single-season, goals-scored record of 11. Former Samford-great Marian Wagner currently holds both of the aforementioned milestones and set the single-season record of 11 goals scored as a freshman in 2002.
 
SAMFORD'S 2015 SENIOR CLASS
The Bulldogs' senior class comprised of Georgi, Hansen and Sessions has played a major role in the success of the Samford soccer program. This year's senior class has already compiled a remarkable 49-25-4 overall record, a 26-6-4 mark in SoCon play, as well as high-profile victories against Wake Forest, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Memphis and Auburn (twice).
 
Samford's seniors have also helped lead the Bulldogs to a SoCon regular-season championship and are currently 6-0 in conference play this year. Additionally, the 2015 Samford squad is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in points, assists and goals.

Video Tribute To The Senior Class
 

#20 HALLIE GEORGI
Georgi, Samford's explosive midfielder from Cicero, Indiana, has already scored five goals and added two assists this season. A tremendous athlete with outstanding speed, she has been a key contributor on the team since playing in 17 matches as a true freshman in 2012.
 
Since then, Georgi has been a staple in the Bulldogs' starting lineup and proved to be a valuable member of last year's record-setting offensive attack that set single-season records in goals, assists and points. A team leader, she is in midst of her best year as a Bulldog and will be making her 15th start of the season against Chattanooga.

Senior Video Featuring Georgi
 
#26 KINSEY SESSIONS
A midfielder from Franklin, Tennessee, Sessions fully embodies the heart and soul of Samford University and the soccer program. She has already earned significant playing time in eight matches this season and is ranked seventh on the team in goals. This year alone, Sessions is averaging a team-best, one goal scored for every 53 minutes played, and is leading the Bulldogs with a stellar .750 shots-on-goal percentage.
 

Boasting a brilliant 3.8 grade-point average in the classroom, she has also played a key role on the field for Samford by scoring pivotal goals against SoCon opponents The Citadel and VMI.

Senior Video Featuring Sessions
 
#44 ALISSA HANSEN
Hansen, the Bulldogs' hardnosed defender from Zionsville, Indiana, immediately stepped onto the scene as a true freshman in 2012, and earned starts in 16 of her first 20 matches. That year, in the final six matches of the season, she only spent a total of 13 minutes on the sideline and logged a career-high 110 minutes of playing time against Furman.
 
After being named a member of the prestigious All-SoCon Freshman Team in 2012, Hansen continued to excel in the Bulldogs' starting lineup and has only missed one start in the last two seasons. Already this year, she has handed out a pair of assists from her position on the back line, including Sunday's crucial game-winning goal against UNCG.

Senior Video Featuring Hansen
 

THE LAST TIME OUT
With less than 14 minutes remaining in Sunday's SoCon meeting with UNCG, Samford's Sara Smeltzer gathered a long forwarding pass from Hansen and fired the game-winning goal into the right corner of the net. Smeltzer's decisive tally lifted the first-place Bulldogs to a crucial 1-0 victory held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
Smeltzer, Samford's talented junior forward from Birmingham, delighted her hometown crowd Sunday by scoring her third goal in three days. On Friday, the Briarwood Christan alumna tallied the Bulldogs' final two scores in a record-tying 7-0 triumph against VMI. Smeltzer has now scored four goals this season and is tied for third place on the team in the category.
 
Smeltzer's game-winning goal was set up by Hansen, who powered a high, hooking pass deep into the goalkeeper's box. Chloe Buehler, UNCG's starting goalkeeper, made an effort to corral the long pass, but the ball slipped through her hands and bounded outside to the right of the goal.
 
Immediately upon seeing the loose ball, Smeltzer streaked to the spot and rifled a shot back to her right and into the corner of the net. The goal proved to be Smeltzer's second game-winner of the season.
 
SAMFORD'S SHUTOUT STREAK
The Bulldogs haven't allowed a goal in over six matches and recently earned their sixth-consecutive shutout with a 1-0 victory against UNCG.
 
Samford extended its shutout streak to 583 minutes, dating all the way back to a 5-2 road victory at Kennesaw State on Sept. 20. Since then, Samford has earned consecutive shutouts against Furman, 2-0, Wofford, 1-0, The Citadel, 5-0, Mercer, 1-0, VMI, 7-0, and UNCG, 1-0.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Friday's home Senior Night contest against Chattanooga, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to Johnson City, Tennessee, for a huge SoCon showdown at second-place ETSU. Next week's matchup is slated to be held at ETSU's Summer-Taylor Stadium.
 
For quick score updates, breaking news and links to all of your favorite articles featuring the Bulldogs, please follow @SamfordSoccer and @Samford_Sports on Twitter.

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