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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- In a wet and rainy contest held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium on Saturday, the Samford University soccer team defeated the VMI Keydets, 3-0, to advance to the semifinal round of play in the 2015 Southern Conference Tournament.
 
With the shutout victory, Samford (14-5-0) moved on to face No. 4 seed Mercer in Friday's semifinal matchup to be held at 4 p.m. (CST) at Furman University's Stone Soccer Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina. Earlier this season, the Bulldogs tallied a hard-fought 1-0 win at Mercer on Oct. 4.
 
Samford improved its all-time record to 3-0 against VMI (6-13-2) and upped its SoCon Tournament mark to 8-5-3.
 
Friday's match took place in a torrential downpour and included an hour-and-24-minute rain delay. Lightning was never detected in the area, but there were a few standing puddles on the field.
 
Samford's goals were scored by Anna Allen, Sara Smeltzer and Malcanisha Kelley, while goalkeepers Anna Maddox and Katie Peters combined for the team's 10^th shutout of the season.
 
Kelley's score proved to be historic as she tallied her 12^th goal of the year and set Samford's single-season record in the 40^th minute. Additionally, Kelley's goal also set the school's all-time record in goals scored with 27. Kelley, just a junior, achieved the Bulldogs' all-time feat in only three seasons.
 
In the 19^th minute, Samford's Allen was able to break through VMI's defender-laden back half with a laser from 35 yards out. After gathering a splash-inducing throw-in from Jermaine Seoposenwe, Allen rifled a shot that fit brilliantly into the top left corner of the net. The score was Allen's first of the season, while Seoposenwe's assist proved to be the team-leading 11^th of the year.
 
The Bulldogs scored all three of their goals in the first half. Allen's strike occurred before the extensive rain delay, while Smeltzer's and Kelley's happened afterwards.
 
Smeltzer, Samford's junior forward from Birmingham, tallied her sixth goal of the season in the 29^th minute. Her score was assisted by Kelley and increased the Bulldogs' lead to 2-0.
 
Less than 11 minutes later, Kelley's record-breaking score occurred after she gathered an errant pass at midfield and breezed by a pair of VMI defender en route to the goal. She stopped short after the Keydets' goalkeeper Darien Dunham committed to a position and then fired a shot to the opposite side of the net for the goal.
 
Samford outshot VMI, 22-8, and earned a decisive 7-2 advantage in corner kicks.
 
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 4 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs square off against the No. 4 seeded Mercer Bears in the semifinal round of the SoCon Tournament to be held at Furman University's Stone Soccer Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina.
 
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Box Score
Samford Stats