GAME NOTES 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.--- The Samford University soccer team is set to open the 2022 regular season by playing at in-state rival Jacksonville State Thursday night at 7 p.m. and then at Rice Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The JSU game will be streamed live on ESPN+, while the Rice contest can be seen on C-USA TV.
 
Samford and JSU are meeting for the 19th time, with Samford holding a 12-5-1 series lead. The teams last met on Sept. 12, 2021, with Samford earning a 4-0 win at home. The teams were co-members of the Atlantic Sun Conference (1997-02) and of the Ohio Valley Conference (2003-07). The Bulldogs and Rice are meeting for the just the second time, with the first meeting coming in a 3-3 tie in 2016.
 
The Bulldogs, who posted a record of 16-3-3 overall and 9-0 in SoCon play in 2021, played a pair of exhibition games, earning a 5-1 win over in-state rival Troy and the dropped a 2-0 decision at SEC foe Mississippi State. In the win over Troy, Whitaker Buchanan scored a pair of goals, while Taylor Yount, Lindsay Worthington and Mary Raymond added a goal each.
 
Samford was picked to win a ninth-straight Southern Conference regular-season title in the league's preseason coaches poll. Four Samford players earned preseason All-SoCon honors as well. Forwards Kyla Reynolds and Yount, midfielder Raymond and defender Kylie Gazza were Samford's representatives on the preseason All-SoCon team.
 
Jacksonville State posted a record of 7-10-2 overall and 3-5-1 in the Atlantic Sun during the 2021 fall campaign. Rice went 10-5-3 overall and 4-3-1 in Conference USA play a season ago.
 
For links to follow all of Samford's games, click on the following link: 2022 SCHEDULE.
 
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 (Instagram) and @SamfordSoccer (Twitter).