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AUBURN, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will face its toughest task of the 2015 schedule Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to Auburn, Ala., for a highly-anticipated, in-state matchup with the 11th-ranked Auburn Tigers to be held at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
 
The contest will be broadcast live on SEC Network+.
 
Samford (3-1) enters the match with a full head of steam after picking up home victories against both Memphis, 5-1, and Wake Forest, 2-1, last week.
 
On Friday, the Bulldogs snapped a three-game losing streak versus Memphis and then notched their second all-time win over an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent with a 2-1 triumph over Wake Forest. Samford has played all four of its regular-season contests at home this year.
 
The Bulldogs head into Friday's match boasting one of the most talented forward combinations in school history. Junior Malcanisha Kelley leads the Southern Conference in both goals (6) and points (14), while Jermaine Seoposenwe paces the league with seven assists, including a school-record four against Memphis on Aug. 28.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Auburn (4-0) enters the weekend as one of the best teams in the nation. The Tigers are ranked No. 11 in the country and have already defeated UC Irvine, Long Beach State, UAB and Furman. On Sunday, Auburn played host to Samford's SoCon-rival Furman and handed the Paladins a 2-0 defeat.
 
SAMFORD vs. AUBURN - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Samford will be meeting Auburn on the pitch for the 12th time in school history Friday. The Tigers currently own an 8-2-1 advantage in the all-time series, but the Bulldogs defeated Auburn on the road last season, 2-1, in a match held at the Auburn Soccer Complex. In the 2014 match, the Tigers entered the contest ranked No. 18 in the nation.
 
SEOPOSENWE RANKED NO. 1 IN THE NATION
Samford's Seoposenwe heads into Friday's match ranked No. 1 in the nation in both assists and assists per game. The Bulldogs' dynamic junior from Cape Town, South Africa, has already handed out seven assists this season, including a school-record four helpers in Samford's 5-1 home victory against Memphis on Aug. 28. She is averaging 1.75 assists per game this season.
 
DAVID vs. GOLIATH - - WE'LL TAKE DAVID
Since 2012, Samford has defeated Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Kentucky and Auburn twice. The Bulldogs have been victorious in their last two meetings with Auburn and boast a 5-1 record in their last six matches against Southeastern Conference opponents.
 
KELLEY IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
Kelley, the reigning Southern Conference Player of the Week, will enter Friday's contest ranked No. 3 in the nation in both goals (6) and total points (14). The Bulldogs' junior native of Childersburg has already scored six goals in four matches this season and has added a pair of assists.
 
SAMFORD'S TEAM RANKINGS
As a team, Samford is nationally ranked in the following categories:  total assists (No. 3), assists per game (No. 8), fouls (No. 11), total points (No. 12), points per game (No. 18), total goals (No. 19) and scoring offense (No. 33).
 
DON'T FORGET ABOUT PETERS
With Samford's offensive outbursts this season, goalkeeper Katie Peters has been a bit outshined in the headlines, but is quietly off to a great start to her sophomore campaign. An injury sidelined Peters for the entirety of the 2014 season, but she has returned to the starting lineup and currently owns a perfect 3-0 record in goal.
 
In 315:00 minutes this season, Peters has grabbed 11 saves and owns a stellar 0.86 goals-against average.
 
THE TOP DOG
Samford head coach Todd Yelton is the winningest coach in school history and boasts a 165-73-32 record with the Bulldogs. He is in the midst of his 14th season at Samford.
 
IN LAST YEAR'S MEETING
Samford picked up its biggest win of the 2014 season as the Bulldogs defeated the 18th-ranked Auburn Tigers, 2-1, in a momentous non-conference contest held at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
 
With the victory, Samford registered its second straight triumph against Auburn and improved to 5-1 in its last six matches versus SEC 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 the win, Taylor Borman proved to be the Bulldogs' hero as she connected on the game-winning goal in the 79th 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 Seoposenwe as she was dragged down in the box by a pair of Auburn defenders.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT
Against one of the premier squads in the nation Sunday, the Samford University soccer team knocked off the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 2-1, in a thrilling non-conference contest held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
With the victory, Samford moved to 1-0 all-time against Wake Forest and picked up its second triumph over an opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference. In 2005, the Bulldogs traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina, and topped NC State, 1-0.
 
Sunday's win wasn't a fluke for Samford. The Bulldogs outshot the Demon Deacons, 18-11, and dictated the pace of play throughout the second half of action. Seven of Samford's shot attempts proved to be on goal.
 
In the 67th minute, Samford's Courtney Hendrickson turned in the outstanding play of the match by powering home a goal-scoring shot from 40 yards out that proved to be the game-winner.
 
Hendrickson, the Bulldogs' talented true freshman from Kennesaw, Georgia, picked off an errant pass from a Wake Forest midfielder, didn't hesitate and drilled a perfectly-placed shot from long range and carried over the goalkeeper's head and into the back of the net.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Friday's showdown at No. 11-ranked Auburn, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 2 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs return home to the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium for a non-conference contest against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.
 
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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