GAME NOTES--SAMFORD AT WESTERN CAROLINA (PDF)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University soccer team will take on the top-seeded Western Carolina Catamounts in the championship game of the Southern Conference Tournament Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) at the Catamount Sports Complex.
 
Samford and Western Carolina have met 18 previous times, with Samford owning a 14-3-1 series lead. The teams met earlier this season, with WCU taking a 1-0 victory. Entering Sunday's contest, Samford is tied for the national lead in shutouts with 13 so far this season. Samford has an all-time record of 24-8-5 in Southern Conference Tournament games, including a 2-0 record so far this season.
 
Samford enters the game with a record of 12-3-5 overall and 6-1-2 in SoCon play. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-0 win at ETSU in the SoCon semifinals Sunday afternoon. Samford has been led offensively by Kyla Reynolds and Mary Raymond with six goals and two assists for 14 total points each. Layla Brown has three goals and six assists for a total of 12 points this season. Goalkeeper Zoe Clevely, along with the Samford backline, has led the Bulldogs to 13 shutouts this season, tied for the most in the nation. Eight of the shutouts have been solo for Clevely, while backup Emma Donley has assisted in five of the shutouts. Lindsay Origliasso and Kylie Gazza are both tied for the most career games in program history with 99 each.
 
Western Carolina enters Sunday's game with a mark of 12-4-3 overall and 7-2-0 in SoCon play. The Catamounts defeated Furman, 1-0 in last Sunday's SoCon semifinal. The Catamounts won the SoCon regular season title and are the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Tournament. WCU has been led offensively by Isabella DeMarco with 10 goals and seven assists for 27 total points. Catamount goalkeeper Leanne Trudel has played in 19 games, allowing 15 goals for a 0.86 goals against average.
 
The game will be broadcast live by ESPN+. To follow the contest online, click on the following link: 2023 SAMFORD SOCCER SCHEDULE.
 
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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).