BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –  The Samford soccer team earned its second-straight Southern Conference Tournament championship with a commanding 4-1 win over Mercer in the tournament title game Sunday at Shauna Yelton Field.
 
"I don't know if I saw 4-1 when we went down 1-0 a minute and 38 into the game," Samford head coach Todd Yelton said. "This group is pretty resilient. We've got a lot of good players and high-character kids. I think it's pretty impressive, doing what Mercer did, getting through last weekend and getting here with the injuries they've had. I'm just really proud of my kids."
 
With the win, Samford earns its seventh Southern Conference Tournament title since joining the league in 2008. The Bulldogs are now 13-2-5 on the season and the team will find out its location and opponent for the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the selection show Monday at 3 p.m. (CT) on NCAA.com. Mercer finished its season with a mark of 10-7-3.
 
Mercer got the scoring started early when the Bears' Morganne Eikelbarner scored off an assist from Syndey Farr in the second minute for a 1-0 Mercer lead. Samford tied the score when Langston Lilly scored an unassisted goal in the 22nd minute to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Clare Nicholas gave Samford the lead for good at 2-1 with a goal in the 46th minute. Sam De Luca scored her SoCon-leading 15th goal of the season off assists from Mamie Carman and Hanna Rae Himes in the 60th minute for a 3-1 Samford lead. Caroline Smith added a goal off assists from Himes and Sarah Holland in the 71st minute to make the final score 4-1.
 
For the game, Martha Bishop led Samford with four shots. De Luca, Lilly and Fleming Dean had two shots each. Samford goalkeeper Peyton Hull saved two shots. De Luca was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player. She was joined on the SoCon All-Tournament team by teammates Bishop, Himes and Avery Stevens. Dean was awarded the Knight Commission Pinnacle Award, which goes to the player with the highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on the winning team.


 
Mercer was led by Eikelbarner with five shots, with three coming on goal. Mercer goalkeepers Lindsay Bell and Avery Parker split time in goal, with Bell allowing one goal and Parker allowing three goals.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
MER: 2nd minute, Morganne Eikelbarner goal off assist from Sydney Farr
SAM: 22nd minute, Langston Lilly goal unassisted
SAM: 46th minute, Clare Nicholas goal unassisted
SAM: 60th minute, Sam De Luca goal off assists from Mamie Carman and Hanna Rae Himes
SAM: 71st minute, Caroline Smith goal off assists from Hanna Rae Himes and Sarah Hollan
 
2025 SoCon Women's Soccer Championship All-Tournament Team 
Samantha Grantham, The Citadel
Grace Eatz, ETSU
Katie Bengough, Furman
Ava King, Furman
Morganne Eikelbarner, Mercer
Sydney Farr, Mercer
Maggie Rollins, Mercer
Ava Kiss, UNCG
Martha Bishop, Samford
Sam De Luca, Samford
Hanna Rae Himes, Samford
Avery Stevens, Samford
Caroline Richvalsky, Chattanooga
Mackenzie Hobik, VMI
Isabella DeMarco, Western Carolina
Abbie Wise, Western Carolina
Ellie Gower, Wofford
 
Most Outstanding Player 
Sam De Luca, Samford
 
Knight Commission Pinnacle Award (highest cumulative GPA among championship-eligible student-athletes on winning team)
Fleming Dean, Samford

2025 Women's Soccer Championship
Tuesday, Oct. 28
First Round (at higher seeds)
Match 1: No. 8 Wofford 2, No. 9 The Citadel 1
Match 2: No. 7 UNCG 2, No 10 VMI 0

Friday, Oct. 31
Quarterfinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 3: No. 1 Samford 2, No. 8 Wofford 0 (Birmingham, Alabama)
Match 4: No. 5 Furman 2, No. 4 Chattanooga 1 (OT) (Birmingham, Alabama)
Match 5: No. 2 Western Carolina 4, No. 7 UNCG 3 (OT) (Cullowhee, North Carolina)
Match 6: No. 6 Mercer 2, No. 3 ETSU 1 (Cullowhee, North Carolina)

Sunday, Nov. 2
Semifinals (at No. 1 & No. 2 seeds)
Match 7: No. 1 Samford 3, No. 5 Furman 2 (2OT) (Birmingham, Alabama)
Match 8: No. 6 Mercer 1, No. 2 Western Carolina 0 (2OT) (Cullowhee, North Carolina)

Sunday, Nov. 9
Final (at Samford)
Match 9: No. 1 Samford 4, No. 6 Mercer 1


 
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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).