BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The top two seeds, Samford and Furman, battled each other the entire length of the match, however, the Paladins edged the Bulldogs with a goal in the final seconds of double overtime to capture the 2020-21 SoCon Tournament Championship title Friday afternoon at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium.

BOX SCORE (PDF)

KEY PLAYS

• Just two minutes into the game, Jasmine Greene found her way behind the Samford backline for a prime opportunity in front of goal, but Morgan McAslan blocked her shot on dive to keep the Paladins scoreless.
• This would be followed by a shot from distance by Nikki Bario just five minutes later, forcing Furman's goalkeeper, Addison Corn, to fully extend in order to tip the ball over the crossbar for a Bulldog corner.
• Both teams would trade shots before the Paladins took a 1-0 lead at the 42:07 minute mark after Faith Hauberg crossed a ball into the box which found the foot of fellow teammate Julia Nicholas for the first goal of the contest.
• Samford would not be phased as the Bulldogs notched the game at 1-1 just two minutes later with Ella Simpson heading the ball past Addison Corn on the backend of the six-yard box off a cross from Morgan Greene before heading into halftime. 
• Morgan McAslan recorded another key save 14 minutes into the second half after Isabelle Gutierrez launched a shot from outside the left corner of the 18-yard box. McAlsan went into a full stretch to deny Gutierrez a goal for the Paladins.  
• With ten minutes left to go in regulation, Samford nearly took the lead after Taylor Yount slipped a ball to Kyla Reynolds for another opportunity in front of goal for the Bulldogs, but Addison Corn caught the ball on a dive to push the game into overtime.
• In the two extra 10 minute periods, Samford tallied five shots compared to Furman's two, however, the Paladins would score on a last ditch effort in the final 17 seconds of the match to claim a 2-1 victory.

 
FROM THE BOX SCORE

• Samford outshot Furman 25-11 in the match with 13 being on goal for the Bulldogs.
• Samford had four corner kicks and 13 fouls on the afternoon, while the Paladins had three and 16, respectively.
• Ella Simpson scored her fourth goal of the season to close out her freshman debut.
• Between the posts, Morgan McAslan played the entire 109:43 minutes for Samford, registering five saves and allowing two goals.
• Taylor Yount had a game-high seven shots between the two teams with three of them being on frame.
• Kylie Gazza, Kyla Reynolds, and Jennifer Seward all performed at a high level for the Bulldogs with all three players being named to the SoCon All-Tournament team.

 
FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For the latest news and information on Samford women's soccer, visit the official website for Samford Athletics at SamfordSports.com. Fans can also follow the Bulldogs on social media at /SamfordSports (Facebook), @SamfordSoccer (Twitter), and @SamfordSoccer (Instagram).