BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford soccer team earned a 4-2 win in a key Southern Conference game over Mercer Thursday night at Shauna Yelton Field.
 
With the win, Samford improved its season record to 8-6-2 overall and 5-1-1 in Southern Conference play, putting the Bulldogs in first place in the SoCon standings. Mercer fell to 9-4-3 overall and 3-2-2 in league play.
 
"Man, that was a war," Samford head coach Todd Yelton said. "We were up 3-1 and in most situations you feel pretty good about it, but those two forwards for Mercer are a hand full and they worked their socks off tonight. It was definitely a hard night for our back line, but I'm super proud of them. It's a Samford-Mercer match, what do you expect?"
 
Whitaker Buchanan led Samford with a goal and an assist. Fleming Dean and Brooklyn Miller also had a goal each, while Layton Glisson and Kaitlin Maynard had an assist each. Peyton Hull played the full 90 minutes in goal for Samford, saving a career-high seven shots and allowing two goals.
 
For Mercer, Larkin Thomason and Sara Engles both had a goal and an assist each. Lindsay Bell played the full game in goal, allowing four goals and saving two shots.
 
Dean started the scoring with her goal off an assist from Buchanan in the 12th minute for a 1-0 Samford lead. Mercer's Engels scored in the 19^th minute off an assist from Thomason to knot the score at 1-1. In the 21st minute, Buchanan scored off an assist from Glisson to give Samford a 2-1 lead. Miller scored in the 42^nd minute off an assist from Maynard to push the Samford lead to 3-1 going into halftime.
 
Mercer's Thomason scored in the 59^th minute off an assist from Engels to cut the Samford lead to 3-2. In the 79th minute Samford added a goal on an own goal from Mercer to make the final score 4-2.
 
As a team, Mercer had 19 shots, to 14 from Samford. The Bears had eight corner kicks, compared to four for the Bulldogs.
 
Samford will next travel to Johnson City, Tennessee, to take on the ETSU Bucs. The game is set for a 12 p.m. (CT) start.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
SAM: 12^th minute, Fleming Dean goal off assist from Whitaker Buchanan
MER: 19^th minute, Sara Engels goal off assist from Larkin Thomason
SAM: 21^st minute, Whitaker Buchanan goal off assist from Layton Glisson
SAM: 42nd minute, Brooklyn Miller goal off assist from Kaitlin Maynard
MER: 59^th minute, Larkin Thomason goal off assist from Sara Engels
SAM: 79^th minute, Own Goal


 
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