CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Samford University soccer team won the Southern Conference Tournament title with a 1-0 win over Western Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Catamount Athletic Complex.
 
This marks Samford's sixth SoCon Tournament title, having previously won the event in 2011, 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2022. The tournament win gives Samford a bid to the program's eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs will find out the location and opponent for its first-round NCAA Tournament game on Monday at 3 p.m. (CT) on NCAA.com.
 
"This was a hard game," Samford head coach Todd Yelton said. "Western's really, really good. When we got that early goal in the second half, I knew it was going to be hard. Chad (Miller) is an amazing coach and a dear friend. When you play your friends, you're happy for you and sad for them. I'm super proud of my kids."
 
Ella Simpson delivered the lone goal of the match on a header off a corner kick from Whitaker Buchanan in the 53rd minute of the contest. Simpson's goal represented Samford's only shot on goal in the game, but it was enough to secure the victory.
 
Goalkeeper Peyton Hull played her best game of the season in the win. She tallied a career-high eight saves in the game. In three games in the SoCon Tournament, Hull and the Samford backline allowed just one goal.
 
"That group had scored a lot of goals in the league and to have clean sheet against them is a big deal," Yelton said. "Peyton was amazing today, she really was."
 
Samford placed four members on the All-SoCon Tournament team, with Caroline Donovan, Kaitlin Maynard, Ella Simpson and Maison Wells representing Samford on the squad. Donovan was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
SAM: 53^rd minute, Ella Simpson goal off corner kick from Whitaker Buchanan
 
2024 SoCon Women's Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team 
Elisa Fuentes, The Citadel
Natalie Capannelli, ETSU
Katie Bengough, Furman
Ellie Herrmann, Furman
Larkin Thomason, Mercer
Rachel Poplin, UNCG
Caroline Donovan, Samford
Kaitlin Maynard, Samford
Ella Simpson, Samford
Maison Wells, Samford
Caroline Richvalsky, Chattanooga
Clarissa Salinas, Chattanooga
Riley Boucher, VMI
Naya Marcil, Western Carolina
Mary Mueth, Western Carolina
Abbie Wise, Western Carolina
Megan Childress, Wofford
 
Most Outstanding Player 
Caroline Donovan, Samford
 
Knight Commission Pinnacle Award (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)
Layton Glisson, Samford



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