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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will begin play in a critical two-match Southern Conference homestand Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the Western Carolina Catamounts to the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium for an important Senior Night matchup.
 
Fans are encouraged to arrive early for Friday's contest as the Bulldogs will hold a special Senior Night presentation 15 minutes prior to kickoff. This year, Samford (8-3-2, 4-1 SoCon) will honor is record-setting senior class comprised of Emily Jones, Taylor Borman, Malcanisha Kelley, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Sara Smeltzer, Anna Allen and Olivia Cole.
 

SAMFORD'S 2016 SENIOR CLASS
The Bulldogs' senior class has already compiled a remarkable 50-22-5 overall record, a 24-6-2 mark in SoCon play, as well as high-profile victories against Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Baylor, Wake Forest, Memphis and Auburn (twice).
 
The talented, seven-member senior class has also helped lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back SoCon regular-season championships and is currently in first place in the conference standings again this year. Additionally, the Bulldogs are ranked in the top 15 nationally this season in shutout percentage, assists per game, points per game and total assists.
 
HEADING INTO FRIDAY'S MATCH
Samford enters the weekend riding the positive wave of a three-match winning streak. Since suffering a 3-2 road setback at Furman, the Bulldogs have compiled consecutive shutout victories against Mercer, 2-0, The Citadel, 3-0, and Chattanooga, 4-0.
 
Samford owns a 7-1 record in its last eight outings and is in the midst of a five-match home winning streak. The Bulldogs are 6-1 at home this season, with their lone loss held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium occurring Aug. 28 against No. 24-ranked Auburn, 4-3.
 
Cumulatively this season, Samford is outscoring its opponents by a total of 30-14, including a 16-3 mark in SoCon play. The Bulldogs, who are the back-to-back SoCon regular-season champions, have registered eight shutouts this season, including four in league play.
 
Samford's Seoposenwe leads the team offensively in goals (10), assists (6) and points (26) this year. She also leads the SoCon with five game-winning goals.
 

Defensively, the Bulldogs' goalkeeper Anna Maddox boasts a miniscule 0.43 goals-against average this season and has only allowed a total of three goals in 626 minutes of action. Maddox, Samford's 6-foot junior native of Warner Robins, Georgia, owns a brilliant 7-0 record this season and has accumulated three shutouts.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - - SAMFORD TRIUMPHS IN FIRST-PLACE BATTLE ON THE ROAD, 4-0
Samford extended its winning streak against the Chattanooga Mocs to 10-consecutive matches Friday as the Bulldogs rolled to a 4-0 SoCon triumph held on the road at Finley Stadium. Samford has not been defeated by Chattanooga in over 17 years, dating back to Sept. 21, 1999. The Bulldogs and Mocs both entered the showdown tied for first place in the league standings.
 
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead Seoposenwe connected on a penalty-kick attempt in the ninth minute. With the goal, Seoposenwe tallied her SoCon-leading fifth game-winner of the season. The tally also marked Seoposenwe's 10^th of the season and 20^th of her career, which moved her into sole possession of ninth place on Samford's all-time goals scored list.
 
In the 23^rd minute of play, the Bulldogs quickly extended their lead to 2-0 when Courtney Hendrickson notched her second goal of the season following an assist from Abriella Argueta. In the second half of action, Samford added goals from Argueta and Sara Smeltzer to pull away from the Mocs and earn its decisive 4-0 victory.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Western Carolina (6-8, 3-2 SoCon) heads into Friday's showdown with aspirations of bouncing back from a hard-fought 1-0 home loss to UNCG on Sunday. The setback proved to be only the second loss for the Catamounts in SoCon play this season.
 
Since falling short at Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 11, 1-0, Western Carolina has been victorious in four of its last six matches, including key league wins against Mercer, 1-0, The Citadel, 3-0, and VMI, 1-0. The Catamounts are currently tied for fourth place in the league standings and only trail Samford, ETSU and Furman.
 
Redshirt junior Kasey Cooke leads Western Carolina with four goals and also has three game-winners this season. Sophomore Sayres McKenna leads the Catamounts with 11 points, paces the team with five assists and ranks second on the team with three goals. She is also tied for fourth in the SoCon with five assists.
 
Western Carolina owns a 2-0 mark in SoCon road games this season as the team hits the road for its final two conference road games of the year. The Catamounts have posted four shutouts in 2016 and senior goalkeeper Carly Tinstman ranks third in the conference in saves with 61 and second in the league in shutouts with four. She also ranks fourth in saves per game with 4.69.
 
THE ALL-TIME SERIES - - SAMFORD vs. WESTERN CAROLINA
The Bulldogs enter Friday's matchup with a 7-2-1 advantage in the all-time series against Western Carolina. Last season, Samford lost on the road to the Catamounts, 1-0, and the defeat snapped the Bulldogs' six-match winning streak in the series. Samford is undefeated when playing at home at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium with a 4-0-1 record, but is 3-1 on the road.
 
DATE                                RESULT                                                         LOCATION
Oct. 26, 2008               Samford def. Western Carolina, 2-1                Cullowhee, N.C.
Nov. 7, 2008               Western Carolina def. Samford, 1-0                  Charleston, S.C.
Oct. 2, 2009                 Samford tied Western Carolina, 1-1                 Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 17, 2010               Samford def. Western Carolina, 1-0                Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 16, 2011               Samford def. Western Carolina, 1-0                Cullowhee, N.C.
Oct. 30, 2011               Samford def. Western Carolina, 2-1                Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 5, 2012                 Samford def. Western Carolina, 3-2                Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 11, 2013               Samford def. Western Carolina, 2-1 (OT)       Cullowhee, N.C.
Oct. 5, 2014                 Samford def. Western Carolina, 4-1                Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 25, 2015               Western Carolina def. Samford, 1-0                 Cullowhee, N.C.
--- Samford leads the all-time series 7-2-1; 4-0-1 when playing in Birmingham.
 
LAST YEAR'S MEETING - - WESTERN CAROLINA TOPPLES SAMFORD IN CULLOWHEE, 1-0
Just two days removed from winning its second straight SoCon regular-season championship, Samford suffered its first defeat in over a month as the Bulldogs dropped a 1-0 road decision against the Western Carolina Catamounts in a hard-fought contest held at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
 

Western Carolina defeated Samford at home for the first time in school history and improved to 2-7-1 against the Bulldogs. The Catamounts' victory snapped Samford's six-match winning streak in the series.
 
The decisive play in last year's regular-season finale occurred in the 20^th minute of action as Western Carolina's Amanda Schwartz registered the game-winning goal following a double-assist from Sara Robinson and Markie Studnicky. The Catamounts' score, which proved to be Schwartz's second of the season, gave Western Carolina an early 1-0 advantage.
 
After scoring their early goal, the Catamounts were able to play with a more potent defensive posture, which made it tough sledding for Samford's stout offensive attack. The Bulldogs still outshot Western Carolina, 12-7, but couldn't find the back of the net.
 
Samford's offense was paced by its forward trio comprised of Malcanisha Kelley, Seoposenwe and Smeltzer. All three of the aforementioned Bulldog juniors finished the match with three shot attempts apiece.
 
Western Carolina's decisive score in the 20^th minute proved to be the only goal that Samford allowed in SoCon play last season. The Bulldogs outscored their league opponents by a total of 21-1 en route to an 8-1 record and their second straight SoCon regular-season title.
 

SHAUNA'S HOUSE - - RAISING MONEY FOR A HEART-WARMING CHARITY
On Friday, Samford will be wearing special light blue uniforms in honor of Shauna's House, which is an endearing charity honoring Samford head coach Todd Yelton's late wife, Shauna, who lost her battle with cancer last year.
 
For three years, Shauna fought against cervical cancer until she passed away almost a year ago in November 2015. She was just 45 and left behind a husband and two teenage children, daughter MacKenzie and son Colin, as well as a lasting impact with her Christian faith and servant's heart.
 
Friends and family plan to honor Shauna through one of her favorite causes, the orphans of Ukraine, a country where an estimated 70 and 80 percent of young adults suffer through issues with crime, prostitution, suicide or drug overdose when they age out of orphanages. Funds are being raised for Shauna's House in Ukraine, a transition home for young girls.
 
The Samford soccer team will raise money for Shauna's House at Friday's home game against Western Carolina.
 
"If you knew anything about Shauna, you knew she was passionate about the orphans in Ukraine," Todd Yelton said. "We decided in a way to honor her that we would build a transition home in Chernigov, Ukraine, that would be for girls once they graduate from the orphanage to give them a place to have a great start in their lives."
 
Shauna's House is already is getting closer to reality. Earlier this week, more than $67,000 had been raised for the house, not far off from $93,000 needed to make the dream a reality.
 
Those wanting to donate to the cause online can do so through Lifesong for Orphans, or by mailing a check to the Samford Athletic Department with the subject "Shauna's House".
 
Donate to Shauna's House
 
BULLDOG BITES - - SAMFORD'S QUICK NOTES
(1.):  On Friday, Samford defeated Chattanooga on the road, 4-0, and extended its winning streak against the Mocs to 10. The Bulldogs have not been defeated by Chattanooga in over 17 years, dating back to Sept. 21, 1999.
 
(2.):  Since opening the 2016 campaign with a 0-0 draw at No. 26 South Alabama, Samford has scored at least one goal in each of its last 12 matches and is averaging 2.5 goals per game this season.
 
(3.):  In its last three matches, Samford has outscored its opponents by a total of 9-0 and has outshot the combination of Mercer, The Citadel and Chattanooga by a total of 55-9.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Friday's Senior Night matchup with Western Carolina, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 2 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs remain at home to challenge the ETSU Buccaneers in a huge SoCon showdown to be held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
ETSU and Samford both enter the weekend tied for first place in the SoCon standings with identical 4-1 records.
 
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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