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MARIETTA, Ga. -- The Samford University soccer team will compete in just its second road match of the 2015 season Sunday at noon (CDT) as the Bulldogs square off against nonconference-rival Kennesaw State in a pivotal test to be held on the Owls' Marietta Campus.
 
Samford (4-4-0) heads into the contest with aspirations of rebounding from back-to-back tough home losses to No. 15-ranked Duke, 2-1 (2OT), and Georgia, 1-0, last week. The Bulldogs have played seven of their first eight matchups at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium this season. Samford lone road loss occurred at No. 11-ranked Auburn on Sept. 4, 2-0.
 
The Bulldogs boast a 4-3 home record this year with wins against Boise State, 2-0, Memphis, 5-1, and Wake Forest, 2-1.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Kennesaw State (3-5-1) enters Sunday's contest with hopes of putting an end to its current three-match losing streak. Since winning at The Citadel on Sept. 6, 3-2, the Owls have dropped consecutive games at Furman, 3-0, No. 17 South Carolina, 6-0, and Austin Peay, 3-1.
 
In Friday's setback at Austin Peay, Kennesaw State's Kim Fincher scored her team's lone goal in the 54^th minute of action.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES RESULTS
Samford enters this weekend's matchup against Kennesaw State with a 4-2 record in the all-time series, but the Owls traveled to Birmingham, Ala., last season and defeated the Bulldogs, 4-2. Samford has outscored Kennesaw State, 15-7, in six meetings and holds an undefeated 2-0 record when playing on the road.
 
In 2013, the Bulldogs notched a 3-0 victory at Kennesaw State, while earning a 4-1 triumph in their first road matchup of the series in 2011.
 
LAST SEASON'S MEETING
Samford came up short in its third-consecutive Sunday match of the 2014 campaign as the Owls notched two goals in the final 10 minutes of action to garner a 4-2 nonconference victory held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
The Bulldogs' Jermaine Seoposenwe and Sara Smeltzer both scored goals in the matchup, but Kennesaw State's Maggie Gaughan tallied the game-winning goal off a crossing pass from Ashtah Das in the 81^st minute of action. The goal was Gaughan's first of two on the night.
 
Gaughan also gave the Owls their decisive 4-2 score with 25 seconds remaining when she rifled home an empty-netter from the midfield line.
 
SAMFORD IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Bulldogs' Seoposenwe enters the weekend as the second-ranked player in the nation with eight assists on the season. Already this year, Samford's dynamic junior from Cape Town, South Africa, is tied for seventh place on the school's all-time single-season record list. The Bulldogs' single-season record is 13 and was achieved by Seoposenwe last year.
 
Samford's Malcanisha Kelley has already tallied 15 points (six goals and three assists) this season and the junior's total is ranked No. 15 in the nation.
 
THE BULLDOGS' LAST TIME OUT
Just 14:19 into the Bulldogs' recent home test against Georgia, a Samford defender inadvertently touched the ball with her arm in the left corner of the box, which gave the visiting 'Dogs a penalty kick attempt. Senior midfielder Bella Hartley was chosen to take the kick for Georgia and she knocked home the game-winning goal into the right corner of the net.
 
Samford owns an 8-26-3 all-time record against Southeastern Conference opponents, but is 5-3 in its last eight meetings.
 
Throughout the opening period, Samford seemed a bit discombobulated and offensive runs proved to be hard to come by. Georgia outshot the Bulldogs, 8-3, in the first 45 minutes of action.
 
Samford's redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Orman rattled off a team-high three shot attempts and nearly equalized the match at 1-1 midway through the second half.
 
On the Bulldogs' best scoring opportunity of the contest, freshman Ella Baggett drove the right flank and slipped through a pair of defenders on her way towards goal. She then dropped off a pass directly in the middle of the box where Orman ripped a shot that just barely sailed over the crossbar.
 
The second half proved to be significantly more productive for Samford as the Bulldogs outshot Georgia, 7-3, in the final period. Georgia's sophomore goalkeeper from Asa, Sweden, Louise Hogrell earned four key saves.
 
Samford's sophomore goalkeeper Katie Peters notched three saves in the opening 77 minutes of action before making way for Anna Maddox to close out the match. The Bulldogs won the corner kick battle, 4-1.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Samford's tough nonconference test at Kennesaw State, the Bulldogs will next be in action Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as they start Southern Conference play at home against arch-rival Furman. The 2015 SoCon opener will be held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
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