Box Score
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- In the final regular-season home match of their careers Sunday, the Samford University soccer team's seniors Anna Allen, Sara Smeltzer and Malcanisha Kelley all scored goals as the Bulldogs earned a hard-fought 3-0 victory against the ETSU Buccaneers in a key Southern Conference contest held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
"I think the depth of our squad was certainly important for us today," said Samford head coach Todd Yelton. "Sunday matches are always tough and our first group got us a great goal there, and then the reserves came in and got us another key one right before half. When you can do that on a Sunday, it's huge, especially against a very good team in ETSU. I have a lot of respect for them and I think (Head Coach) Adam (Sayers) does an outstanding job with that team, and they have a lot of talented players."
 
With the victory, Samford (10-3-2, 6-1 SoCon) extended its winning streak to five-consecutive matches and remained in sole possession of first place in the conference standings. The Bulldogs also closed out their regular-season home schedule with a near-perfect 8-1 record. Samford's lone home loss of the season occurred Aug. 28, in a 3-2 setback against No. 24-ranked Auburn.
 
Since then, the Bulldogs have outscored the competition, 15-2, at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. In conference matches this season, Samford has outscored its opposition, 21-4.
 
With two matches remaining in SoCon play, the Bulldogs possess 18 total points, as compared to 15 for second-place Furman. Samford lost at Furman earlier this season, 3-2, but the Paladins have since dropped a pair of league matches.
 
The back-to-back SoCon champion Bulldogs again hold their own fate towards a third-consecutive regular-season title, but will embark upon an arduous road trek at both UNCG and VMI next week.
 
"We're going to be playing at a very tough UNCG team that I think has only allowed four goals in SoCon play all year," said Yelton. "From a defending standpoint, they are excellent and they make it very difficult on opposing offenses. Then, I also think that VMI is much improved. I've seen them play on film and they definitely make things hard on you as well. Those will both be tough road tests for us."
 
ETSU (9-5-2, 4-2-1 SoCon), which owns a perfect 6-0 record at home this season, will be hosting the 2016 SoCon Tournament in Johnson City, Tennessee, Nov. 4-6. With their 3-0 loss at Samford, the Buccaneers dropped to 3-5-2 when playing on the road.
 
"I don't know, we have to win some games and they have to win some games first, but we'll see how it all shakes out," Yelton said on possibly playing against ETSU on its home field in the SoCon Tournament. "First of all, both of us have to get there. We need to do well this upcoming week and play our best in order to get to that point first."
 
Seniors accounted for all three of the Bulldogs' goals Sunday. After exactly 28 minutes of scoreless soccer, Samford's Allen tallied what would eventually be the game-winning goal as she rifled home a 10-yard shot neatly into the bottom left corner of the goal.
 
Allen's score proved to be her first of the season and was set up nicely by true freshman Taylor Meneide, who provided the perfectly-placed through-pass for the goal. The assist was Meneide's first of her up-and-coming career as a Bulldog.
 
Just over eight minutes following Allen's goal, fellow senior Smeltzer found the back of the net with a similar score, this time into the right corner of the net.
 
"We haven't scored a lot of goals in the air this season, so (Associate Head Coach) Jay (Yelton) has been telling Anna over and over that if she keeps making those runs, she's going to get a goal," Yelton said. "It happened for her today and we're so happy for her. Also, Sara is such a battler that through just pure grit and determination, she also found a way to get a goal today as well."
 
Smeltzer's third goal of the season gave Samford a 2-0 first-half lead and was initiated by a brilliant crossing pass from sophomore Korrie Sauder.
 
Sauder, who was running full speed on the left flank, dove immediately before the end line and sent a pin-point pass across the field to Smeltzer on the far side. Smeltzer slipped around an ETSU defender and one-timed her shot into the back of the net.
 
Samford's final goal was scored by Kelley, who has now tallied seven more goals than any player in school history.  
 
Her score came off a 10-yard header from the right side and was set up nicely by both Ella Baggett and Kaitlyn Orman. Baggett sent a line drive into ETSU's box where Orman flicked a header over to her right towards Kelley. Kelley proved to be in perfect position and skied high to power the ball back over to the left and into the corner.
 
Kelley's goal proved to be the 33^rd of her illustrious career.
 
"We were also super happy to see Malcanisha get on the board today to give her a little bit of confidence," said Yelton. "We're averaging three goals per game in SoCon play this season, and in this league, that is very hard to do, so we're just trying to do the best that we can at it."
 
In goal for the Bulldogs, junior Anna Maddox started the match and registered four key saves en route to her ninth victory of the season. Maddox, Samford's talented 6-foot native of Warner Robins, Georgia, now boasts an unblemished 9-0 record this season, as well as a miniscule 0.46 goals-against average.
 
Katie Peters, also a junior, entered the match in the 75^th minute and tallied three huge saves in goal for the Bulldogs as she combined for her fourth shared shutout of the season.
 
ETSU's scoreless performance proved to be only its second of the 2016 campaign. On Sept. 4, the Buccaneers were also shutout at Marshall, 3-0.
 
The Samford University soccer team will next be in action Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs begin a regular-season ending, two-match road trip against the UNCG Spartans to be held at the UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 
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