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GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The first-place Samford University soccer team will begin play in its final regular-season road trip of the 2016 campaign Friday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to face the UNCG Spartans in a critical Southern Conference contest to be held at the UNCG Soccer Stadium. Friday's matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
 
Samford (10-3-2, 6-1 SoCon) heads into the game boasting a five-match winning streak. Since coming up short on the road at Furman on Sept. 25, 3-2, the Bulldogs have rattled off consecutive victories against Mercer, 2-0, The Citadel, 3-0, Chattanooga, 4-0, Western Carolina, 2-1, and ETSU, 3-0. Samford has also been victorious in nine of its last 10 matches dating back to a 3-3 road draw at Rice on Sept. 2.
 
With two matches remaining in SoCon play, Samford leads the conference standings by three points over both Furman (5-2) and Mercer (5-3). If the Bulldogs earn victories in this weekend's road matches at UNCG (6-9-2, 3-3-1 SoCon) and VMI, Samford would secure its third consecutive, regular-season SoCon championship.
 
The Bulldogs enter the weekend ranked third in the nation in assists (39), fourth in assists per game (2.6), ninth in points per game (7.27), 11^th in total points (109) and 14^th in shutout percentage (0.6).
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - - SENIORS SHINE IN 3-0 HOME VICTORY OVER ETSU

In the final regular-season home match of their careers Sunday, Samford 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 SoCon contest held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
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. Samford's final goal was scored by Kelley, who has now tallied seven more goals than any player in school history. Kelley's goal proved to be the 33^rd of her illustrious career.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
UNCG enters Friday's matchup with hopes of bouncing back from a heartbreaking 1-0 overtime loss at Mercer on Sunday. In the defeat, Mercer's Logan Culver netted the golden goal for the Bears to hand the Spartans their third loss of the SoCon season. UNCG's 1-0 loss to Mercer became the first in program history against the Bears and snapped a two-match win streak.
 
Against Mercer, the Spartans' Chloe Buehler tallied six saves in goal as Mercer outshot UNCG, 20-8, in 94 minutes of action. Regan Lehman accounted for three of the Spartans' shots, while Melanie Spensiero added two of her own.
 
Spensiero leads the Spartans with five goals and 11 points this season. Defensively, Buehler has consistently proven to be one of the best goalkeepers on the SoCon with 89 saves and an impressive 1.16 goals against average in 2016.
 
SAMFORD vs. UNCG - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
UNCG is the only team in the SoCon that Samford does not have a winning record against. The all-time series between the programs began Sept. 28, 2008, with a 0-0 draw held in Birmingham, Alabama. Since then, the Bulldogs and Spartans have played to an even 4-4 record. Inexplicably, both teams in the rivalry have done better on the home pitch of their opponent. Samford boasts a 3-1 record when competing in Greensboro, while UNCG is 2-1-1 in Birmingham.
 
DATE                              RESULT                                        LOCATION
Sept. 28, 2008             Samford tied UNCG, 0-0                Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 16, 2009              Samford def. UNCG, 2-1               Greensboro, N.C.
Sept. 26, 2010             UNCG def. Samford, 1-0                Birmingham, Ala.
Nov. 7, 2010               UNCG def. Samford, 1-0               Cullowhee, N.C.
Sept. 26, 2011             Samford def. UNCG, 1-0                Greensboro, N.C.
Oct. 19, 2012              UNCG def. Samford, 1-0               Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 25, 2013              UNCG def. Samford, 3-0               Greensboro, N.C.
Oct. 12, 2014              Samford def. UNCG, 1-0               Greensboro, N.C.
Oct. 11, 2015              Samford def. UNCG, 1-0               Birmingham, Ala.
--- The all-time series is tied at 4-4-1; Samford leads, 3-1, when playing in Greensboro, N.C.
 
LAST YEAR'S MEETING - - BULLDOGS BLANK UNCG AT HOME, 1-0
With less than 14 minutes remaining in last season's SoCon showdown against UNCG, Samford's Smeltzer gathered a long forwarding pass from senior Alissa Hansen and fired the game-winning goal into the right corner of the net. Smeltzer's decisive tally lifted the Bulldogs to a crucial 1-0 victory held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
Smeltzer's game-winning goal was set up by Hansen, who powered a high, hooking pass deep into the goalkeeper's box. Buehler, UNCG's starting goalkeeper, made an effort to corral the long pass, but the ball slipped through her hands and bounded outside to the right of the goal.
 
Immediately upon seeing the loose ball, Smeltzer streaked to the spot and rifled a shot back to her right and into the corner of the net.
 
Samford outshot the Spartans, 18-11, and finished with nine shots on goal. The Bulldogs' offensive attack was spurred by Jermaine Seoposenwe, who finished with four shots attempts. Three of UNCG's 11 shots were on goal.
 

BULLDOGS' SEOPOSENWE NAMED SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Samford's Seoposenwe was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday for all competition held Oct. 10-16, after she scored a pair of goals in critical home conference victories over Western Carolina and ETSU. The selection was made by the league office.
 
Seoposenwe, the reigning SoCon Player of the Month, earned her second player of the week honor of the season. The Bulldogs' talented native of Cape Town, South Africa, also received the SoCon's top weekly accolade on Sept. 6.
 
So far this season, Samford has earned five of the league's nine player of the week honors, including the first four of the 2016 campaign. Also receiving SoCon weekly awards this season have been junior goalkeeper Katie Peters, senior forward Taylor Borman and junior goalkeeper Anna Maddox.
 
Seoposenwe, who recently competed for her home nation in the Rio Olympics this summer, led Samford with two goals last week as the Bulldogs registered a 2-0 record and tallied key home victories against Western Carolina and ETSU. Both of Seoposenwe's goals were tallied in Samford's 2-1 Senior Night victory against Western Carolina, lifting the Bulldogs to their seventh straight home victory.
 
Seoposenwe boasts 12 goals this year and recently moved just one score shy of tying the school's single-season record in the category. In only her third year at Samford, Seoposenwe also moved one goal out of fourth place in the Bulldogs' all-time goals-scored category with 22.
 
Both of Seoposenwe's goals were scored on penalty kicks. She is now a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty-kick attempts this season.
 
Seoposenwe is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally in five statistical categories. The Bulldogs' senior forward is ranked fourth in game-winning goals (6), fifth in goals (12), sixth in both goals per game (0.86) and points (30) and seventh in points per game (2.14).
 
BULLDOG BITES - - THREE QUICK NOTES
(1.):  Samford's 2016 senior class boasts an overall record of 52-22-5 and a 26-6-2 mark in SoCon play, as well as high-profile victories against Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Alabama, Baylor, Wake Forest, Memphis and Auburn (twice).
 
(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 14 matches and is averaging 2.3 goals per game this season.
 
(3.):  In its last five matches, Samford has outscored its opponents by a total of 14-1 and has outshot the competition by a total of 85-24.
 

SAMFORD'S STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK - - ANNA ALLEN
The Bulldogs' Allen, who owns an impressive 3.62 grade point average in accounting, played a key role in the Samford's 2-0 record last week with wins against Western Carolina and ETSU.
 
Allen, Samford's starting defensive midfielder, started both matches for the Bulldogs and scored her team's game-winning goal in a pivotal 3-0 victory against ETSU on Sunday.  Allen's decisive goal, which proved to be her first of the season, gave Samford an early 1-0 lead in the win. Last week, Samford outscored its opposition by 5-1 and Allen played a big role in the Bulldogs' defensive performance.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Friday's tough road test at UNCG, the first-place Samford University soccer team will next be in action Sunday at 1 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs travel to Lexington, Virginia, for a monumental contest at VMI. Samford's road test at the Keydets will be held at Patchin Field on the campus of the Virginia Military Institute.
 
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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