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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The three-time Southern Conference regular-season champion Samford University soccer team will be hosting a quarterfinal SoCon Tournament match Saturday at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs welcome the eighth-seeded VMI Keydets to the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium for a win-or-go-home matchup to be broadcast on the SoCon Digital Network.
 
Samford (12-3-2, 8-1 SoCon) entered the 2016 postseason as the top-seeded team in the SoCon Tournament. The Bulldogs received a first-round bye in the 10-team event and were guaranteed a home game in Saturday's quarterfinal round of competition.
 
The winner will advance to Friday's semifinal round of play, which is being hosted by ETSU at Summers-Taylor Stadium in Johnson City, Tennessee.
 
Samford enters Saturday's contest in the midst of a seven-match winning streak, including three consecutive shutouts. Since coming up short at Furman on Sept. 25, 3-2, the Bulldogs have rattled off SoCon victories against Mercer, 2-0, The Citadel, 3-0, Chattanooga, 4-0, Western Carolina, 2-1, ETSU, 3-0, UNCG, 1-0, and VMI (8-11, 4-5 SoCon).
 
Samford joined the SoCon in 2008 and has since compiled a jaw-dropping 68-12-12 overall record in conference play. The Bulldogs have also recorded four regular-season championships; three in a row.
 
Additionally, Samford boasts a near-perfect 8-1 record at home in 2016. The Bulldogs' only loss at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium this season occurred against No. 24-ranked Auburn, 4-3, on Aug. 28.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - - 'DOGS TOP VMI, 4-0, TO EARN THIRD STRAIGHT SOCON TITLE
Needing just a win or a draw Sunday to claim its third consecutive outright SoCon championship, Samford rolled to a decisive 4-0 road triumph against VMI in a regular-season finale held at Patchin Field. With the victory, Samford earned the league's regular-season title and secured the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Tournament.
 

Samford used goals from Kaitlyn Orman, Jermaine Seoposenwe, Sara Smeltzer and Korrie Sauder to claim its 4-0 victory over the Keydets.
 
Orman's first goal of the season occurred at an opportune time as she registered the game-winning tally in the third minute of play. Orman, the Bulldogs' talented sophomore from Atlanta, headed home a nice entry pass from senior Emily Jones for the goal. The score gave Samford its early 1-0 lead just 2:47 into the match and quickly set the tone for the afternoon. Jones' assist was her fourth of the season.
 
The Bulldogs' second goal of the match occurred 10 minutes later and proved to be a historical score for Seoposenwe.
 
At exactly 12:50 into the contest, sophomore Ella Baggett sent a perfectly-placed cross into the box for Seoposenwe, who juked a VMI defender and found herself one-v-one with goalkeeper Emily Marbury. Seoposenwe, arguably the most explosive scorer in the conference this season, took advantage of the situation and easily found the back of the net.

 
SAMFORD'S SEOPOSENWE SETS SINGLE-SEASON GOALS RECORD
With the goal, her 14^th of the year, Seoposenwe set the school's single-season record in the category, surpassing teammate and fellow senior Malcanisha Kelley's total of 13, which was set in 2015. Seoposenwe has scored 25 goals in her brilliant three-year career at Samford and is currently tied for third place with Lindsay Shanks on the all-time goals-scored list.
 
MADDOX PROVES TO BE DOMINANT IN GOAL FOR THE BULLDOGS
Junior goalkeeper Anna Maddox once again turned in an outstanding performance for Samford on Sunday at VMI. Maddox, the Bulldogs' dominant 6-foot native of Warner Robins, Georgia, tallied four key saves in nearly 86 minutes of playing time and improved her record on the season to 11-0.
 
Since coming to campus as a true freshman in 2014, Maddox has compiled an impressive 32-9 overall record in goal. In nearly 1,000 minutes of playing time this season, Maddox has only allowed four goals and boasts a miniscule 0.37 goals-against average.
 
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
VMI enters Saturday's SoCon Tournament matchup with a full head of steam after defeating The Citadel on Wednesday in an opening-round contest held at Patchin Field. In overtime, with their SoCon Tournament lives on the line, the Keydets' Katelyn Lauziere scored the golden goal in the 92^nd minute to lift VMI to a thrilling 1-0, overtime win.
 
The victory proved to be the Keydets' first postseason win since defeating Winthrop on Nov. 6, 2008, and just the program's second such win ever. VMI had advanced twice in conference tournament action in the years since, but had done so via penalty kick shootouts on both occasions, including last season. Such advancements are officially recorded as ties.
 
In addition, Lauziere's goal was the first postseason overtime goal in VMI history, while Taylor Callahan's assist was also a program postseason overtime first. The eight wins VMI has now posted on the year are the second-most in program history, trailing only the 10-win 2008 team.
 
For the match, VMI finished with a 17-14 edge in shots and 8-3 edge in shots on goal. Leask was credited with six saves to three for Ceci Keppeler, while VMI had seven of the match's 10 corner kicks.
 
SAMFORD vs. VMI - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
In a young series that began just two seasons ago, Samford leads the Keydets by a count of 4-0 and has not allowed a single goal in the rivalry. The Bulldogs have outscored VMI, 19-0, and own a 2-0 record when playing at home at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. Last season, the teams also squared off in a SoCon quarterfinal matchup held in Birmingham and Samford earned a 3-0 victory.
 
DATE                            RESULT                                     LOCATION
Oct. 10, 2014             Samford def. VMI, 5-0              Lexington, Va.
Oct. 9, 2015               Samford def. VMI, 7-0             Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 31, 2015             Samford def. VMI, 3-0              Birmingham, Ala.
Oct. 23, 2015             Samford def. VMI, 4-0              Lexington, Va.
--- Samford leads the all-time series, 4-0; Samford also leads, 2-0, when playing in Birmingham, Ala.
 
SAMFORD IN SOCON TOURNAMENT PLAY
Since joining the SoCon in 2008, Samford has compiled an 8-5-4 record in SoCon Tournament play. The Bulldogs rolled to a championship title in 2011 and earned its way to the championship game in 2010, 2013 and 2014. Samford has only failed to qualify for the semifinal round of the SoCon Tournament once, and that occurred in 2012 with a quarterfinal setback against College of Charleston, 2-1.
 
BULLDOGS' ALL-TIME RESULTS IN SOCON TOURNAMENT
Below are the year-by-year results from Samford in the SoCon Tournament.
 
2008
Nov. 2 - - Samford advanced past College of Charleston in PKs, 0-0
Nov. 7 - - Western Carolina def. Samford, 1-0
 
2009
Nov. 6 - - College of Charleston advanced past Samford in PKs, 0-0
 
2010
Oct. 31 - - Samford advanced past Davidson in PKs, 1-1
Nov. 5 - - Samford def. The Citadel, 4-3
Nov. 7 - - UNCG def. Samford, 1-0
 
2011
Oct. 30 - - Samford def. Western Carolina, 2-1
Nov. 4 - - Samford def. Furman, 1-0 (2OT)
Nov. 6 - - Samford def. College of Charleston, 1-0

  2012
Oct. 28 - - College of Charleston def. Samford, 2-1
 
2013
Nov. 3 - - Samford def. Appalachian State, 1-0
Nov. 8 - - Furman def. Samford, 2-0
 
2014
Nov. 1 - - Samford def. The Citadel, 6-0
Nov. 7 - - Samford def. ETSU, 2-1
Nov. 9 - - Mercer def. Samford, 2-1
 
2015
Oct. 31 - - Samford def. VMI, 3-0
Nov. 6 - - Mercer advanced past Samford via PKs, 1-1
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
The winner of Saturday's quarterfinal round being held at Samford University will advance to Friday's semifinal in Johnson City, Tennessee, where they will face the victor of No. 4 Furman and No. 5 UNCG. Furman and UNCG are slated to square off in Greenville, South Carolina, on Saturday at 2 p.m. (CDT).
 
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.
 
2016 SoCon Women's Soccer Championship
 
Oct. 26 (Wednesday)
First round (at higher seeds)
Match 1:  No. 8 VMI def. No. 9 The Citadel, 1-0 (OT)
Match 2:  No. 7 Western Carolina def. No. 10 Wofford, 2-1 (2OT)
 
Oct. 29 (Saturday)
Quarterfinal round (at higher seeds)
Match 3:  No. 8 VMI at No. 1 Samford, 6 p.m.
Match 4:  No. 5 UNCG at No. 4 Furman, 1 p.m.
Match 5:  No. 7 Western Carolina at No. 2 ETSU, 6 p.m.
 
Oct. 30 (Sunday)
Quarterfinal round (at higher seeds)
Match 6:  No. 6 Chattanooga at No. 3 Mercer, 3 p.m.
 
Nov. 4 (Friday)
Semifinals (Summers-Taylor Stadium; Johnson City, Tenn.)
Match 7:  Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 4 p.m. (SoCon Digital Network)
Match 8:  Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6, 6:30 p.m. (SoCon Digital Network)
 
Nov. 6 (Sunday)
Final (Summers-Taylor Stadium; Johnson City, Tenn.)
Match 9:  Winner Match 7 vs. Winner Match 8, Noon (ESPN3)

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