BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University soccer team scored early and often as the Bulldogs earned a dominating 6-0 win over Jacksonville State Thursday night at Shauna Yelton Field.
 
The six goals by the Bulldogs are the most by a Samford team since a 6-1 win over Mercer in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament in the spring of 2021. The six-goal victory was the largest for a Samford squad since a 6-0 win over The Citadel in 2019. With the win, Samford improves to 1-1-1 on the season. Jacksonville State falls to 2-1 with the setback.
 
Nikki Bario led Samford with two goals and an assist. Brigid McElderry, Kylie Gazza, Ella Simpson and Anna Major added a goal each. Mia Wehby had three assists in the contest, while Layla Brown and Mary-Ainsley Alack had an assist apiece.
 
McElderry got the scoring started with her first career goal in the fifth minute of the match. Gazza added a goal off an assist from Brown in the 16^th minute for a 2-0 Samford lead. Simpson then scored off an assist from Bario in the 33^rd minute to make the score 3-0. Bario netted her first goal of the contest off assists from Wehby and Alack in the 36^th minute for a 4-0 lead. Bario added her second goal off an assist from Wehby in the 41^st minute to make the score 5-0.
 
The Bulldogs added one final goal in the second half. Major netted a goal off another assist from Wehby in the 79^th minute to make the final score 6-0.
 
As a team, Samford had 30 shots, to just one for Jacksonville State. The Bulldogs had 15 shots on goal, to one for the Gamecocks. Each team had two corner kicks on the night.
 
Samford will play host to the Oklahoma Sooners Sunday at 1 p.m. at Shauna Yelton Field. Admission to the game is FREE.
 
SCORING RECAP
SAM: 5^th minute, Brigid McElderry
SAM: 16^th minute, Kylie Gazza, assist by Layla Brown
SAM: 33^rd minute, Ella Simpson, assist by Nikki Bario
SAM: 36^th minute, Nikki Bario, assists by Mia Wehby and Mary-Ainsley Alack
SAM: 41^st minute, Nikki Bario, assist by Mia Wehby
SAM: 79^th minute, Anna Major, assist by Mia Wehby


 
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