Samford women’s soccer kicked off the season with an impressive caliber of nonconference matchups. Now, with SoCon play kicking off, the Bulldogs are taking the lessons learned from those challenges to prepare for what comes next.
Samford finished nonconference play 3-2-3, headlined by a season-opening scoreless draw against then-No. 2 Notre Dame and another 0-0 draw against an undefeated Auburn.
For Head Coach Todd Yelton, the level of competition gave him a lot of perspective before entering conference play.
“Overall, I was pretty happy with the group,” Yelton said. “I think we are in a good spot to play an incredibly challenging league schedule.”
Apart from the nonconference results, Coach Yelton sees humility and work ethic as defining qualities of this year’s team. He described his players as a group without big egos that care deeply about one another and prioritize staying consistent.
“With the sports science equipment that we have, you can’t fool a heart rate monitor. So, I would say this group has a lot of heart and shows up every day,” he said.
Having heart has been a key quality for the leadership roles of the players on the team.
Coach Yelton described team captains Avery Stevens and Sam De Luca, along with the rest of the senior class, as positive examples for the younger players.
“I think they understand what it means to put on the jersey here at Samford, and they have set that example for the younger kids, and so I’m really thankful for that and respect them for it,” Yelton said.
Now, as the Bulldogs enter SoCon play, a new kind of challenge awaits.
“You go from being the hunter, to the hunted,” Yelton said.
Samford has earned a reputation of being one of SoCon’s most successful programs under Coach Yelton. Entering this season, he led the Bulldogs to 11 SoCon regular-season championships, seven conference tournament titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
That successful history brings very high expectations, and Coach Yelton knows that the opposing teams will be ready when Samford steps onto the field.
“In a biblical sense, to whom much is given, much is required,” Yelton said. “We get everybody’s best shot every time we play them. There is no off nights for us.”
For the Bulldogs to continue to meet those expectations, Coach Yelton emphasized the importance of respecting every game played, putting in the work and competing for the full 90 minutes.
“I think you have to respect it, respect the league. If you don’t respect the league, then it’ll kick you right in the teeth.” Yelton said
Regardless of the high expectations surrounding the Bulldogs, what excites Coach Yelton the most about this year’s team goes beyond just winning, but centers around the team and the players themselves.
“They’re a group of kids who are easy to cheer for, and it’s super easy to want really good things for this group.” Coach Yelton said.
With the challenges of nonconference play behind them, and new challenges of SoCon ahead, the Bulldogs will now look to continue to carry their heart, humility and leadership until the final whistle blows.
Samford are currently 1-0-0 in conference play after a 2-1 win over Western Carolina. Their next match will be against Mercer on Friday.
Staff Reporter
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