Carson Caulfield, Staff Writer
The Samford Women’s Soccer team (2-2-2) is battling through their pre-conference schedule as the team continues to improve chemistry and rebuild a hunger for the 2019 SoCon Championship.
The pre-conference schedule is usually a good mixture of all types of opponents. Some are smaller, local schools, and some are larger schools with highly established programs. So far, the Bulldogs have been able to prove their worth against both types of opponents.
The Bulldogs have earned wins against Troy, Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee. They also took on the LSU Tigers and walked away with an impressive 2-2 tie. However, they conceded a massive six goals in a loss at Florida State on September 8.
After seven games, the Bulldogs have scored 14 goals and given up 12.
The defensive backline includes sophomore goalkeeper Morgan McAslan, who has collected 27 saves along the way.
The Bulldog offense has been led by junior midfielder Alyssa Frazier, who has been responsible for two goals and two assists. Look for Frazier to have continued success and a possible breakout season, as she has already doubled her goal total from last season (one).
Last season’s pre-conference schedule had only one noticeable issue, and that was the struggle to make shots count. After eight games last season, the Bulldogs attempted 99 shots, with only six finding the back of the net.
Samford is under the direction of head coach Todd Yelton. Yelton is the winningest coach in Samford soccer history, and he is in his 16th year of coaching for the Bulldogs. Additionally, Yelton has won SoCon Coach of the Year four times.
Last season, Yelton lead the Bulldogs to an impressive 12-6-1 season. The Bulldogs fell in the semi-finals of the SoCon tournament to the Furman Paladins.
Samford will take on the Alabama State Hornets on Friday night, Sept. 13 in Birmingham. The game will start at 7 PM and can be streamed on ESPN+. The Bulldogs will begin SoCon play on September 27 against the Furman Paladins in Birmingham as coach Yelton begins his campaign to win his sixth regular season SoCon title.
