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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University soccer team will face its final non-conference opponent of the 2016 regular season Friday as the Bulldogs square off against the Kennesaw State Owls in an inter-league contest slated to begin at 7 p.m. (CDT) at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 

Samford (3-2-2) heads into the matchup with loads of positive momentum after posting consecutive home victories against Baylor and Alabama. Last week, the Bulldogs used a thrilling golden goal from true freshman Allie Lourie to defeat Baylor in double overtime, 1-0, while Jermaine Seoposenwe's score in the 50^th minute of play knocked off Alabama, 1-0, on Tuesday.
 
Samford owns a 3-1 record at home this season and all three of its wins have been shutouts, including a 2-0 victory over Troy on Aug. 21.
 
THE LAST TIME OUT - - SAMFORD DEFEATS ALABAMA, 1-0
Samford picked up its ninth all-time win against a Southeastern Conference opponent Tuesday, and its second home triumph over Alabama, as the Bulldogs used a brilliant second-half goal from Seoposenwe to collect a momentous 1-0 victory held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.
 
The Crimson Tide, which defeated Tennessee on Friday in its SEC opener, 5-1, suffered only its second loss of the season Tuesday. Prior to falling to Samford, the Crimson Tide's only other setback occurred on the road at No. 20-ranked USF, 1-0.
 
Samford's game-winning goal was scored by Seoposenwe in the 50^th minute of action. On the decisive play, the Bulldogs' Abriella Argueta stole an errant Alabama pass and streaked down the right sideline for 30 yards. Once she drew a pair of Crimson Tide defenders, Argueta sent a high crossing pass over to the left side of the field to an awaiting Seoposenwe.
 

Seoposenwe, Samford's All-Southern Conference forward who recently competed in the 2016 Olympic Games with South Africa, gathered the pass, took a couple steps toward Alabama goalkeeper Kat Stratton and niftily chipped a right-footed shot over Stratton's head and high into the back of the net. Seoposenwe's amazing, game-winning goal proved to be her team-leading fourth of the season.
 
SAMFORD'S MADDOX NAMED SOCON PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Bulldogs' Anna Maddox was named the SoCon Player of the Week for all competition held Sept. 4-11, on Tuesday, after the junior goalkeeper tallied four key saves in Samford's 1-0 shutout of Baylor last week.
 
Maddox, in her first action of the year after an offseason injury, put up four saves and faced 11 shots in 105 minutes, 13 seconds of action as Samford took a 1-0 win over the Big 12 Conference's Baylor in double overtime. The Bulldogs' junior from Warner Robins, Georgia, held the Bears, who had won four straight, without a goal for just the second time this season. The shutout was the 10th of her career and lowered her career goals against average to 1.04.
 
The weekly award is the second of Maddox's career and first since Oct. 14, 2014. Her selection is also the fourth straight for Samford to open the season, which marks the first time in league history that the same school has claimed four consecutive weekly honors. Four different players have earned the distinction for the Bulldogs so far this season.
 

ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER SOCON P.O.W. AWARD
By being named the SoCon Player of the Week on Tuesday, Maddox proved to be the fourth straight Samford player to secure the league's top weekly honor this season, setting a SoCon record. The Bulldogs became the first team in SoCon history to win four-consecutive player of the week honors.
 
Three weeks ago, junior goalkeeper Katie Peters received the SoCon's initial accolade of the season, while the Bulldogs' senior forward Taylor Borman earned the award two weeks ago and Seoposenwe received the honor last week.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Kennesaw State (4-3-1) owns hopes of getting back on the winning track Friday after suffering a pair of defeats at Georgia Southern, 3-2, and Georgia, 1-0, last weekend. The Owls, who will be concluding a stretch of five straight road contests, are just two victories shy of equaling their win total from a year ago when they posted a 6-10-3 mark.
 
Senior Shannon Driscoll leads Kennesaw State and ranks second in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season in both points (11) and goals (5). Additionally, fellow senior Kim Fincher is tied for fourth in the ASUN in points (9) and third in assists (3). She has also scored three goals.
 
Kennesaw State leads the ASUN with 19 goals this season and is tied for the league lead with four shutouts. Senior goalkeeper Catherine McDuff-Viau and junior goalkeeper Ashley Zambetti each have two shutouts.
 
In the Owls' most recent outing, a solid overall effort came up just short as Georgia scored a late second-half goal to edge Kennesaw State, 1-0, Sunday in Athens, Georgia. The homestanding Bulldogs finally broke through for the game-winner when Taylor Donohue converted a shot from the top of the box with just under 16 minutes remaining in regulation.
 
SAMFORD vs. KENNESAW STATE - - THE ALL-TIME SERIES
The Bulldogs own a 5-2 all-time record against Kennesaw State, including a 5-2 road victory against the Owls last season. The teams have played four times in Birmingham, with Kennesaw State winning the last two held at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium. The Bulldogs have never been defeated on the road in the series at 3-0. All-time, Samford holds a significant 20-9 scoring margin over the Owls.
 
DATE                                                          RESULT                                                                                                                  LOCATION
Sept. 2, 2007              Samford def. Kennesaw State, 3-0             Birmingham, Ala.
Sept. 10, 2010            Samford def. Kennesaw State, 2-0             Birmingham, Ala.
Sept. 2, 2011              Samford def. Kennesaw State, 4-1             Kennesaw, Ga.
Sept. 14, 2012            Kennesaw State def. Samford, 2-1               Birmingham, Ala.
Sept. 17, 2013            Samford def. Kennesaw State, 3-0             Kennesaw, Ga.
Sept. 21, 2014            Kennesaw State def. Samford, 4-2               Birmingham, Ala.
Sept. 20, 2015            Samford def. Kennesaw State, 5-2             Kennesaw, Ga.
 
LAST YEAR'S MEETING - - SAMFORD 5, KENNESAW STATE 2
On a hot, humid day at Kennesaw State last year, Samford equaled its season-high total of five goals en route to a torrid 5-2 road victory over the Kennesaw State Owls.
 
The Bulldogs' goal total tied its season-high mark of five, which was also achieved in a 5-1 home victory against Memphis on Aug. 28.
 

Senior Hallie Georgi led the way with two goals last season, while Kaitlyn Orman, Malcanisha Kelley and Olivia Cole also registered scores. Georgi, the Bulldogs' speedy forward from Cicero, Indiana, notched the first two-goal performance of her career in the matchup. Her scores occurred in the 45^th and 69^th minutes.
 
The Bulldogs took positive momentum into the locker room, but just 87 seconds into the second half, Kennesaw State evened the score of the match at 2-2 with a goal from Kim Fincher. Fincher's tally came off a nice through-ball from Carly Pressgrove.
 
Samford's game-winning goal was scored by junior forward Malcanisha Kelley in the 64^th minute. The score came off an assist from Sara Smeltzer. The Bulldogs added a pair of insurance goals in the second half as Georgi and Cole both scored in the 69^th and 80^th minutes, respectively, to give Samford it's decisive 5-2 win.
 
Maddox started in goal for the Bulldogs and notched three saves. Samford outshot the Owls, 24-9, and won the corner kick battle, 6-3.
 
SAMFORD'S IMPRESSIVE TRACK RECORD OF MARQUEE VICTORIES
In the last five years, Samford has picked up key wins against Vanderbilt, Auburn (twice), Tennessee, Baylor, Alabama, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Memphis, UAB and Boise State.
 

Additionally, the Bulldogs' success has been monumental under Head Coach Todd Yelton. Since Yelton took the reins to the Samford soccer program in 2002, the Bulldogs have compiled impressive victories against Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Baylor, Wake Forest, North Carolina State, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Memphis, UAB, Boise State and Southern Miss.
 
WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT?
Following Friday's home showdown with Kennesaw State, the Samford University soccer team will next be in action Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. (CDT) as the Bulldogs begin play in their 2016 SoCon schedule on the road against the Wofford Terriers. The matchup will be held at Wofford's Snyder Field in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
 
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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