A s Marian Wagner s game-winning

SEASON REVIEW SEASON REVIEW BULLDOGS SWEEP OVC CHAMPIONSHIPS DEFEAT 19TH-RANKED VANDERBILT IN 2005 NCAA TOURNAMENT A s Marian Wagner s game-winning penalty kick moved past the outstretched fingertips of Vanderbilt s goalkeeper, Tyler Griffin, the time had come. Samford had become one of the nation s elite. A throng of Samford students rushed onto the field to celebrate the Bulldogs 5-4 shootout win over the 19th-ranked Commodores. With the penalty-kick shootout victory, the Bulldogs knocked off hometown-favorite Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn., and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. In only his fourth season at Samford, Head Coach Todd Yelton was visibly moved by the win and gave all the credit to the players. I m a little speechless at this point, but I m just extremely proud of this team, said Yelton in his postgame press conference. Our players kept battling out there tonight. They all played with a great deal of heart and character. I can t tell you how proud I am of them. The win capped the Bulldogs best season in school history. Samford finished the 2005 campaign with a record 15-4-4 overall mark and secured both the Ohio Valley Conference s regular-season and tournament 2005 SEASON RESULTS Aug. 26 WOFFORD W, 3-0 Aug. 28 at Mississippi State T, 1-1 Sept. 2 MEMPHIS W, 2-1 Sept. 4 MARSHALL W, 2-0 Sept. 9 at North Carolina State W, 1-0 Sept. 11 at Winthrop T, 0-0 Sept. 16 SOUTHERN MISS W, 3-0 Sept. 18 at #24 Vanderbilt L, 2-1 Sept. 23 at Eastern Kentucky* L, 1-0 Sept. 25 at Morehead State* W, 4-0 Sept. 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE* W, 2-0 Oct. 7 TENNESSEE MARTIN* W, 2-0 Oct. 9 MURRAY STATE* L, 1-0 Oct. 14 at Eastern Illinois* W, 1-0 Oct. 16 at Southeast Missouri* W, 3-1 Oct. 21 TENNESSEE TECH* W, 2-1 Oct. 23 AUSTIN PEAY* W, 4-1 Oct. 25 at Birmingham-Southern W, 2-1 Oct. 28 BELMONT W, 2-0 Nov. 4 vs. Murray State** T, 0-0 (W, 4-3 PKs) Nov. 6 at Eastern Illinois** W, 1-0 Nov. 11 at #19 Vanderbilt T, 1-1 (W, 5-4 PKs) Nov. 13 vs. #16 Pepperdine L, 2-0 2005 Long s Electronics Samford Classic *Ohio Valley Conference match **OVC Tournament 2005 NCAA Tournament Home games are in BOLD CAPS. OVC Commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher awards Sharon Young the MVP trophy after Samford defeated Eastern Illinois in the OVC title match. titles. The OVC regular-season championship was the Bulldogs third in a row, and Yelton was named the 2005 Coach of the Year. The accolade was his second in three seasons. This award is much more a reflection of our players than anything that I have done, Yelton said following the announcement. I ve been in this business long enough to know that coaches coach and players play, and our abilities to impact the game are done Monday through Thursday. The players are the ones that have to step on the field and win the games. Samford dominated the individual All-OVC honors in 2005. Seven Bulldogs earned conference awards, and sophomore Rebecca Bohler was named Player of the Year. Bohler, Samford s speedy forward from Augusta, Ga., became the second-straight Bulldog to earn the league s top honor. In 2004, Samford s record-holding goalkeeper Crystal Royall received the award en route to becoming the first player in conference history to sweep both Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors. OVC LEADERS ASSISTS 1. Rebecca Bohler, Samford 12 2. Alaina Lacopo, Southeast Missouri 7 3. Heather Birdsell, Samford 6 Adonia Bivins, Austin Peay 6 5. Kim Matthews, Samford 5 Kindal Keim, Tennessee Martin 5 Dani Myrick, Tennessee Martin 5 Melissa Curry, Murray State 5 Bohler finished the 2005 season with a school-record 12 assists and four goals for a total of 20 points. Fellow sophomore Heather Birdsell also received first-team All-OVC honors and ended the year with 20 points. A native of Plano, Texas, Birdsell led the Bulldogs in goals scored (7) for a secondstraight season and recorded a key two-goal performance against Austin Peay Oct. 17. She also tallied 20 points during the 2005 campaign by adding six assists and scoring a team-high four game-winning goals. Samford was ranked No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America s [NSCAA] Southeast Regional OVC LEADERS GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE 1. Cayley Winters, Samford 0.54 2. Emily Morris, Samford 0.55 3. Lindsay Pickering, Southeast Missouri 0.58 4. Tiffany Groene, Eastern Illinois 0.79 5. Heather Jones, Murray State 0.80 standings and also ended the campaign listed in a number of national rankings. The Bulldogs defense allowed a recordlow 13 goals in 23 games and finished the season ranked 10th in the country in goalsagainst average (0.54). The team earned the No. 3 spot in shots on goal save percentage (0.88). Freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters from Littleton, Colo., ended the year as the No. 11 goalkeeper in the nation in goalsagainst average (0.54). Cayley grew tremendously as a player this year. She did a great job of stepping in and playing when we needed her to, said Yelton. Jay [Yelton] deserves a lot of credit in her growth. Senior Emily Morris also did a great job nurturing Cayley. Winters led the team with six shutouts and concluded the 2005 season with a 10-3-2 2005 STATISTICAL RECAP Overall Record 15-4-4 Ohio Valley Conference Record 7-2 Home Record 9-1 Road Record 5-2-3 Neutral Record 1-1-1 FORD S RECORD WHEN... Scoring first 13-0-2 Opponent scores first 2-4-1 Leading at halftime 8-0 Trailing at halftime 1-2 Tied at halftime 6-2-4 Playing in overtime matches 0-0-4 Outshooting opponents 11-2-2 Tied with or outshot by opponents 4-2-2 Taking more corner kicks 9-2-3 Taking the same or fewer corner kicks 6-2-1 Committing more fouls 11-2-3 Committing the same or fewer fouls 4-2-1 Playing in day matches 6-3-3 Playing in night matches 9-1-1 Playing in one-goal matches 6-3 Scoring one goal 3-1-2 Scoring two goals 7-0 Scoring three goals 3-0 Scoring four goals 2-0 RECORD BY DAY OF THE WEEK Monday 0-0 Tuesday 1-0 Wednesday 0-0 Thursday 0-0 Friday 9-1-2 Saturday 0-0 Sunday 5-3-2 RECORD BY MONTH August 1-0-1 September 6-2-1 October 7-1 November 1-1-2 OVC TEAM LEADERS SHUTOUTS 1. Samford 12 2. Southeast Missouri 11 3. Eastern Illinois 10 4. Austin Peay 6 Morehead State 6 Tennessee Martin 6 Murray State 6 record in goal. She was named to the OVC s All-Newcomer Team along with fellow freshman Lauren Faubion. A native of McKinney, Texas, Faubion finished second on the team in goals (6) and scored a pair of key game-winning goals for the Bulldogs. Samford s Kim Matthews headlined the OVC s second team in 2005, her third consecutive All-OVC honor. The Bulldogs junior midfielder from Colleyville, Texas, helped lead the team s offensive attack in Samford s run to the NCAA Tournament. She finished third in goals (5), assists (5) and points (15). Samford defenders Sharon Young and Rebecca Mock also were named to the OVC s second team. Young, a junior from Powder Springs, Ga., earned her third-straight All-Conference honor. Mock, who missed the 2004 season due to an injury, notched her first All-OVC accolade. Mock is a native of Marietta, Ga., and started in 22 games for the Bulldogs in 2005. Despite advancing past Vanderbilt in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, the most rewarding win of Samford s recordsetting season might have been the 1-0 victory over arch-rival Eastern Illinois in the championship game of the OVC Tournament. The win not only guaranteed the Bulldogs their first trip to the NCAA College Cup, but it snapped a two-game losing streak against Eastern Illinois in OVC Tournament championship matches. The contest was broadcast live to a national TV audience on ESPNU. With the score of game knotted at 0-0 late in the second half, Samford was fouled deep in Eastern Illinois territory and was awarded a direct kick. On the ensuing set piece, Bohler sent a high, lofting ball in front of Eastern Illinois goal. The pass dropped directly in front of the Panthers net, bounced off a pair of defenders and found its way to the right post. With the ball a mere few feet from the goal line, Samford s Young gained possession and slammed it into the back of the net. The goal was her fourth of the season. I m extremely proud of this team, Yelton said following the Bulldogs OVC Cayley Winters Tournament championship. They worked so hard for this all year long, and they deserve to play in the NCAA Tournament. From a coaching standpoint, it s a huge burden off our shoulders. This was a great win for our team. Following the season, the accolades continued to roll in for the record-setting Bulldogs. Birdsell, Bohler and Winters all received Soccer Buzz Southeast Regional honors. Birdsell and Bohler were named to the region s third team, and Winters was the lone goalkeeper in the talent-laden Southeast to be named to the All-Freshman team. Rebecca Bohler 42 43

SEASON REVIEW 2005 FINAL STATISTICS The Bulldogs and fans celebrate Samford s victory over Murray State Nov. 4. These awards are great for our players, said Yelton. It s very rewarding for them, and it s also good for our program. Rebecca, Heather and Cayley all had great years, and they re reaping the rewards of their hard work. Samford soccer reached a milestone in its nine-year existence Sept. 20, 2005, when the Bulldogs received their first regularseason ranking in the Southeast. In the fourth installment of the year s Soccer Buzz magazine rankings, a national publication devoted solely to the coverage of FORD S 2005 LEADERS GOALS Heather Birdsell..................... 7 Lauren Faubion..................... 6 Kim Matthews...................... 5 ASSISTS Rebecca Bohler.................... 12 Heather Birdsell..................... 6 Kim Matthews...................... 5 Marian Wagner...................... 4 POINTS Heather Birdsell.................... 20 Rebecca Bohler.................... 20 Kim Matthews..................... 15 Lauren Faubion.................... 12 Marian Wagner..................... 12 SHOTS Heather Birdsell.................... 56 Rebecca Bohler.................... 43 Lauren Faubion.................... 27 Marian Wagner..................... 23 Kim Matthews..................... 22 collegiate soccer, Samford was ranked 15th in the Southeast Region. I m extremely proud of our team for the way that they played. They are definitely deserving of all the rankings that they received, said Yelton. The successes that we achieved last year were something that we have been aiming for as a program, but now it makes it a little bit harder for us, because we essentially have a target on our back. The team recorded the greatest season in school history in 2005, but the future looks even brighter for the Bulldogs. All 11 players that started for Samford in the NCAA College Cup return to the team this season, and Coach Yelton s recruiting class is once again slated to be among the best in the nation. With the experience that the Bulldogs gained in 2005 and the talent-laden roster in 2006, Samford is poised not only to win its fourth consecutive OVC regular-season title, but to become a staple in the NCAA College Cup for years to come. Heather Birdsell Marian Wagner (left) and Emily Morris OVERALL HOME AWAY NEUTRAL All Games 15-4-4 9-1 5-2-3 1-1-1 Conference 7-2 4-1 3-1 0-0 Nonconference 8-2-4 5-0 2-1-3 1-1-1 NO PLAYER GP-GS G A PTS SHOTS SHOT% YC-RC GW PK-ATT 4 Heather Birdsell 23-23 7 6 20 56.125 0-0 4 0-0 7 Rebecca Bohler 23-22 4 12 20 43.093 1-0 2 0-0 23 Kim Matthews 23-22 5 5 15 22.227 3-0 2 0-0 5 Lauren Faubion 23-11 6 0 12 27.222 4-0 2 0-0 9 Marian Wagner 23-15 4 4 12 23.174 0-0 1 0-0 11 Sharon Young 23-23 4 2 10 19.211 0-0 2 0-0 24 Candace Clippard 14-0 2 0 4 2 1.000 0-0 0 0-0 15 Cassie Applegate 20-6 1 1 3 15.067 2-0 0 0-0 17 Sara Geiger 23-15 1 1 3 14.071 3-0 0 0-0 2 Rebecca Mock 22-22 1 0 2 6.167 1-0 1 0-0 8 Allison Stone 12-0 1 0 2 5.200 0-0 0 0-0 14 Marchele Olds 20-15 1 0 2 4.250 1-0 1 0-0 16 Valerie Kikkert 23-2 0 2 2 4.000 0-0 0 0-0 25 Devon Paris 23-22 0 1 1 3.000 1-0 0 0-0 6 Shay Helmbock 20-0 0 1 1 1.000 1-0 0 0-0 0 Cayley Winters 18-16 0 1 1 0.000 0-0 0 0-0 21 Kat Sweatt 23-3 0 0 0 10.000 1-0 0 0-0 22 Jamie Stout 17-5 0 0 0 2.000 0-0 0 0-0 20 Morgan Montague 20-3 0 0 0 2.000 0-0 0 0-0 3 Jessika Mejia 22-21 0 0 0 1.000 6-0 0 0-0 1 Emily Morris 14-9 0 0 0 0.000 0-0 0 0-0 0 Jenna Sturgill 1-0 0 0 0 0.000 0-0 0 0-0 TOTAL 23 37 36 110 259.143 138 15 0-0 OPPONENTS 23 13 6 32 230.057 105 4 0-0 NO GOALKEEPERS GP-GS MINUTES GA AVG SAVES PCT W L T SHO 0 Cayley Winters 18-14 1339:35 8 0.54 46.852 10 3 2 6 1 Emily Morris 9-12 820:25 5 0.55 36.878 5 1 2 3 Team 0:00 0 0.00 10 1.000 0 0 0 3 TOTAL 2 2160:00 13 0.54 92.876 15 4 4 12 OPPONENTS 23 2160:00 37 1.54 101.732 4 15 4 5 The Bulldogs celebrate becoming 2005 OVC Tournament Champions. 44 45

2005 FINAL STATISTICS 2005 SEASON SUPERLATIVES DATE OPPONENT W/L/T SCORE ASSISTS SHOTS ON GOAL CORNERS FOULS Aug. 26 WOFFORD W 3-0 3/0 10/7 7/1 8/1 13/9 Aug. 28 at Mississippi State T 1-1 1/0 15/12 1/1 8/4 16/19 Sept. 2 MEMPHIS W 2-1 1/0 5/10 4/5 2/4 13/11 Sept. 4 MARSHALL W 2-0 3/0 8/2 5/1 9/0 17/14 Sept. 9 at North Carolina State W 1-0 0/0 6/11 4/4 2/5 15/15 Sept. 11 at Winthrop T 0-0 0/0 16/16 11/8 9/2 11/8 Sept. 16 SOUTHERN MISS W 3-0 4/0 9/13 8/8 4/4 20/12 Sept. 18 at #24 Vanderbilt L 1-2 1/2 3/23 3/6 1/10 15/24 Sept. 23 at Eastern Kentucky* L 0-1 0/1 18/4 7/3 9/2 10/13 Sept. 25 at Morehead State* W 4-0 5/0 16/8 11/4 7/4 13/10 Sept. 30 JACKSONVILLE STATE* W 2-0 3/0 11/9 5/7 6/5 15/9 Oct. 7 TENNESSEE MARTIN* W 2-0 0/0 17/9 7/5 6/4 12/12 Oct. 9 MURRAY STATE* L 0-1 0/0 13/6 5/1 4/1 16/10 Oct. 14 at Eastern Illinois* W 1-0 1/0 4/6 3/3 2/5 12/7 Oct. 16 at Southeast Missouri* W 3-1 3/0 5/4 4/1 1/5 13/18 Oct. 21 TENNESSEE TECH* W 2-1 2/1 14/10 5/5 10/1 11/5 Oct. 23 AUSTIN PEAY* W 4-1 3/1 14/7 11/5 6/1 13/8 Oct. 25 at Birmingham-Southern W 2-1 2/0 8/6 5/4 4/1 14/21 Oct. 28 BELMONT W 2-0 2/0 22/3 12/2 8/1 9/1 Nov. 4 vs. Murray State** T 0-0 0/0 15/4 4/1 6/5 21/12 Nov. 6 at Eastern Illinois** W 1-0 1/0 12/10 3/3 3/5 21/19 Nov. 11 at #19 Vanderbilt T 1-1 1/0 4/26 2/13 2/10 17/11 Nov. 13 vs. #16 Pepperdine L 0-2 0/1 13/24 5/7 4/4 19/12 TOTALS 15-4-4 37-13 36/6 259/230 138/105 121/84 336/280 *Ohio Valley Conference match **Ohio Valley Conference Tournament match NCAA Tournament match Home games are in BOLD CAPS. Kat Sweatt (21) is greeted by her teammates as she runs onto the field for starting lineup. FORD TEAM MATCH HIGHS Goals 4, at Morehead State (Sept. 25) 4, vs. Austin Peay (Oct. 23) Assists 5, at Morehead State (Sept. 25) Points 13, at Morehead State (Sept. 25) Shots 22, vs. Belmont (Oct. 28) Shots on Goal 12, vs. Belmont (Oct. 28) Saves 12, at #19 Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) Corner Kicks 10, vs. Tennessee Tech (Oct. 21) Fouls 21, vs. Murray State (Nov. 4) 21, at Eastern Illinois (Nov. 6) FORD INDIVIDUAL MATCH HIGHS Goals 2, Heather Birdsell, vs. Austin Peay (Oct. 23) 2, Rebecca Bohler, vs. Jacksonville State (Sept. 30) 2, Lauren Faubion, vs. Belmont (Oct. 28) 2, Kim Matthews, at Southeast Missouri (Oct. 16) Assists 2, Heather Birdsell, at Morehead State (Sept. 25) 2, Rebecca Bohler, vs. Wofford (Aug. 26) 2, Rebecca Bohler, vs. Belmont (Oct. 28) Points 4, Heather Birdsell, vs. Austin Peay (Oct. 23) 4, Rebecca Bohler, vs. Jacksonville State (Sept. 30) 4, Lauren Faubion, vs. Belmont (Oct. 28) 4, Kim Matthews, at Southeast Missouri (Oct. 16) Shots 6, Heather Birdsell, vs. Mississippi State (Aug. 28) 6, Heather Birdsell, vs. #16 Pepperdine (Nov. 13) 6, Rebecca Bohler, vs. Jacksonville State (Sept. 30) Shots on Goal 4, Heather Birdsell, at Mississippi State (Aug. 28) 4, Heather Birdsell, vs. Southern Miss (Sept. 16) 4, Sharon Young, at Winthrop (Sept. 11) Saves 11, Cayley Winters, at Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) OPPONENT TEAM MATCH HIGHS Goals 2, #16 Pepperdine (Nov. 13) 2, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) Assists 2, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) Points 6, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) Shots 26, #19 Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) Shots on Goal 13, #19 Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) Saves 11, Winthrop (Sept. 11) Corner Kicks 10, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) 10, #19 Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) Fouls 24, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) OPPONENT INDIVIDUAL MATCH HIGHS Goals 2, Megan Woods, #16 Pepperdine (Nov. 13) Assists 1, Melissa Aquino, Austin Peay (Oct. 23) 1, Amy Baumann, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) 1, Lindsay Ismer, Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 23) 1, Lauren Mitchell, #24 Vanderbilt (Sept. 18) 1, Ashley Vidal, Tennessee Tech (Oct. 21) 1, Emily Wynne, #16 Pepperdine (Nov. 13) Points 4, Megan Woods, #16 Pepperdine (Nov. 13) Shots 7, Amy Baumann, #19 Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) Shots on Goal 5, Amy Baumann, #19 Vanderbilt (Nov. 11) Saves 11, Dimitra Poulos, Winthrop (Sept. 11) 46 47

GAME 1 Aug. 26, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 572) Wofford (0-1) 0 0 0 Samford (1-0) 2 1 3 WOF Marchele Olds (1) 17:41 (Rebecca Bohler), Heather Birdsell (1) 41:55 (Bohler), Marian Wagner (1) 67:34 (Shay Helmbock) Samford kicked off its 2005 regular-season schedule with a resounding 3-0 victory over the Wofford Terriers Aug. 26 in front of 572 fans at Bulldog Field. Samford freshman Marchele Olds opened the scoring with a goal at the 17:41 mark in the contest, while sophomore Heather Birdsell and senior Marian Wagner added the final two scores. Rebecca Bohler, who led the team in assists in 2004, earned a pair of assists. The Bulldogs goalkeepers Emily Morris and Cayley Winters combined for the shutout victory. Olds scored the first goal of her collegiate career when she hammered home a delivery from Bohler on a corner kick. Bohler s centering pass entered the box 10 yards from the goal, bounced off a couple of defenders and was gathered in by Olds for the point-blank score. Samford s second goal came at 41:55 and also was assisted by Bohler. This time, she took possession of the ball at midfield, juked a pair of defenders and fed Birdsell with a picture-perfect pass directly in front of the goalkeeper. The Bulldogs final score of the match came at 67:34 when Wagner, a senior and team captain, scored the goal off an entry pass from Shay Helmbock. GAME 2 Aug. 28, 2005 Starkville, Miss. (Att.: 303) PERIOD 1 2 OT 2OT FINAL Samford (1-0-1) 0 1 0 0 1 Mississippi State (0-0-2) 0 1 0 0 1 Lauren Faubion (1) 63:01 (Heather Birdsell) MSU Own goal, 64:25 Samford and the Mississippi State Bulldogs fought to a 1-1 draw at the MSU Soccer Field Aug. 28. Freshman Lauren Faubion tallied Samford s lone goal, while Mississippi State s score came on Samford s own goal that was Lauren Faubion accidentally headed in by a Bulldog defender. Emily Morris, Samford s senior goalkeeper, played all 110:00 minutes in goal, recorded six saves and didn t allow a Mississippi State player to score. Samford has remained undefeated versus Mississippi State since Head Coach Todd Yelton s arrival in 2002 and moved to a 2-0-1 record in the four-year rivalry. Samford defeated Mississippi State, 2-1, during the 2002 season and earned a 2-0 victory in 2003. Faubion scored the Bulldogs lone goal of the contest at 18:01 in the second half. The scoring opportunity was created by Heather Birdsell, who set up the freshman with a perfectly placed entry pass into the box. GAME 3 Sept. 2, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 621) Memphis (1-1) 1 0 1 Samford (2-0-1) 2 0 2 MEM Shoko Mikami (1) 23:43 (unassisted) Sharon Young (1) 5:24 (Kim Matthews), Heather Birdsell (2) 31:09 (unassisted) Samford used a pair of critical first-half goals from junior Sharon Young and sophomore Heather Birdsell to knock off the Memphis Lady Tigers, 2-1, in front of 621 rambunctious fans at Bulldog Field. With its win in the opening day of the 2005 Long s Electronics Samford Classic, Samford remained undefeated on the season and earned its first victory over a Conference USA opponent. Heading into the contest, the Bulldogs were 0-5 all-time against C-USA teams. Sophomore Kim Matthews ignited Samford s offense early in the first half when she assisted on Young s goal during the sixth minute of play. The assist was Matthews first of the season and the ninth of her career. The scoring opportunity started at midfield when Matthews beat a Memphis opponent to a pass, sprinted down the right sideline and sent a 5-foot high cross into the box. The ball was played perfectly off Young s head and past the Tigers goalkeeper, Isabel Briones. With the score of the contest deadlocked at 1-1, Birdsell tallied the game-winning goal at 31:09 in the first half. GAME 4 Sept. 4, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 333) Marshall (0-3) 0 0 0 Samford (3-0-1) 0 2 2 MAR Kim Matthews (1) 63:46 (Rebecca Bohler), Allison Stone (1) 87:49 (Heather Birdsell, Marian Wagner) Samford claimed the championship title of the inaugural 2005 Long s Electronics Samford Classic Sept. 4. The Bulldogs used secondhalf goals from Kim Matthews and Allison Stone to defeat the Marshall Thundering Herd, 2-0, at Bulldog Field. Samford claimed first place in the fourteam competition by compiling a 2-0 record over the weekend, while Memphis finished as the runner-up with a 1-1 mark. With the win, Samford remained undefeated on the 2005 campaign and recorded its third-best start to a season in school history. Marshall held the Bulldogs scoreless for a little over 63:00 minutes before Samford s Matthews tallied the game-winning goal. On the play, the Bulldogs junior from Colleyville, Texas, gathered a set-up pass from Rebecca Bohler, outran a pair of Marshall defenders down the left sideline and fired a 10-yard running strike into the right portion of the net. The goal occurred at 18:46 into the second half and was Matthews first of the season. Junior Allison Stone scored an insurance goal for Samford at the 87:49 mark in the contest. GAME 5 Sept. 9, 2005 Cary, N.C. (Att.: 513) Samford (4-0-1) 1 0 0 North Carolina State (4-1) 0 0 0 Heather Birdsell (3) 28:00 (unassisted) NCSU Samford improved its undefeated record on the season to 4-0-1 Sept. 9, upending the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 1-0, at the SAS Soccer Stadium. Heather Birdsell, the reigning OVC Offensive Player of the Week, scored Samford s game-winning goal 28:00 minutes into the match. The score was her teamleading third of the season and the eighth of her career. The Bulldogs senior goalkeeper, Emily Morris, turned in an outstanding performance in goal and earned her second shutout of the 2005 season. A native of Memphis, Tenn., Morris has allowed only two goals in 393:51 minutes of play this season. With the win, Samford handed North Carolina State its first loss of the year. Heading into the matchup, the Wolfpack was the 11th-ranked team in the Southeast Region by SoccerBuzz.com. The victory came in the Bulldogs first all-time matchup against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. Samford has an unblemished 1-0 record against ACC foes. Samford s Head Coach Todd Yelton became the school s all-time winningest soccer coach with the win. He earned his 39th career victory and surpassed Barry Spitzer for the all-time Samford lead. GAME 6 Sept. 11, 2005 Rock Hill, S.C. (Att.: 154) PERIOD 1 2 OT 2OT FINAL Samford (4-0-1) 0 0 0 0 0 Winthrop (2-3) 0 0 0 0 0 WIN Samford played 110:00 minutes of scoreless soccer Sept. 11, finishing in a 0-0 draw on the road against the Winthrop Eagles. Samford s Emily Morris notched her third shutout of the season and tallied her second of the - weekend. Morris, who took a 0.46 goals-against average into the nonconference matchup, recorded eight saves against the Eagles and earned her second-straight shutout. With Head Coach Todd Yelton at the helm, Samford holds an undefeated record in overtime contests. Since the Bulldogs all-time winningest skipper was named head coach in 2002, Samford holds a 7-0-9 mark in extra play. Earlier this season, the Bulldogs fought to a physical 1-1 draw on the road against Mississippi State. GAME 7 Sept. 16, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 429) Southern Miss (3-1-1) 0 0 0 Samford (5-0-2) 0 3 3 USM Heather Birdsell (4) 47:51 (Sharon Young), Marian Wagner (2) 50:09 (Kim Matthews, Rebecca Bohler), Candace Clippard (1) 89:48 (Wagner) Samford used a second-half scoring barrage to defeat the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Sept. 16, as the Bulldogs Heather Birdsell, Marian Wagner and Candace Clippard all scored in a 3-0 victory at Bulldog Field. With the win, Samford extended its undefeated streak to seven matches and improved to 4-0 at home. The loss was Southern Miss first of the season and halted its four-match unbeaten streak. The teams fought to a scoreless 0-0 draw in the first half before the Bulldogs unleashed two goals in less than three minutes to take a commanding 2-0 lead. On the first score of the match, Birdsell recorded her team-leading fourth goal of the season off an assist from junior Sharon Young. Less than three minutes later, at 5:09 into the second period, Wagner scored the 24th goal of her career on a double-assist attack from Kim Matthews and Rebecca Bohler. On the play, Bohler gained possession at midfield, weaved between a pair of Southern Miss midfielders and rolled a centering pass in the box to Matthews. The ball hit Matthews perfectly in stride, and she one-touched a pass down to the far left of the goal, where Wagner slammed it home for the score. Clippard, a true freshman from Nashville, Tenn., later scored the first goal of her collegiate career, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. GAME 8 Sept. 18, 2005 Nashville, Tenn. (Att.: 275) Samford (5-1-2) 1 0 1 #24 Vanderbilt (7-1) 1 1 2 VAN The Bulldogs celebrate their 3-0 victory against Southern Miss Sept. 16. Kim Matthews (2) 19:00 (Heather Birdsell) Meghan Habig (1) 9:17 (Lauren Mitchell), Lea Lafield (2) 81:15 (Amy Baumann) 48 49

In a hard-fought contest held at the Vanderbilt Soccer Complex, Samford dropped a 2-1 decision against No. 24 Vanderbilt. The physical matchup included 39 fouls and seven yellow cards. With the loss, Samford dropped its first match of the 2005 campaign and snapped its seven-game undefeated streak. Vanderbilt, the Bulldogs highest-ranked opponent in more than a year, extended its unbeaten streak to seven consecutive matches. Samford s Kim Matthews scored her second goal of the season in the defeat, and junior Sara Geiger earned her first assist. Vanderbilt was whistled for 24 fouls, while the Bulldogs were called for 15. The Commodores were issued five yellow cards, and Samford finished with a pair of cautions. With the score of the match knotted at 1-1 with 8:45 remaining in the contest, Vanderbilt s Lea Lafield tallied the gamewinning goal off an assist from Amy Baumann. The score was Lafield s second of the 2005 campaign. After spending a predominant portion of the first half stuck on the defensive side of the field, the Bulldogs Heather Birdsell ignited a counterattack in which she fed a ball ahead to Matthews. Matthews beat a pair of Vanderbilt defenders to the ball and sent a 35-yard shot over the goalkeeper s head into the goal. The score came at the 26:00-minute mark and was Matthews second of the season. Samford s goal was the first scored against the Commodores goalkeeper Tyler Griffin in a school-record 515:00 minutes. GAME 9 Sept. 23, 2005 Richmond, Ky. (Att.: 204) Samford (5-2-2) 0 0 0 Eastern Kentucky (1-5-1) 0 1 0 EKU Bridget McKnight (1) 61:41 (Lindsay Ismer) On Sept.23, Samford suffered its first road defeat in Ohio Valley Conference play since Oct. 12, 2003, when the Bulldogs were upended by the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, 1-0, in the teams OVC opener at the EKU Soccer Complex. Samford dropped consecutive matches for the first time since Sept. 10 of last season. The Bulldogs began their two-match slide with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss against the 24thranked Vanderbilt Commodores, 2-1. Samford s previous defeat on the road against an OVC opponent came versus Eastern Illinois on Oct. 12, 2003. Before the loss, the Bulldogs were in the midst of a sixmatch road winning streak against conference opponents. In five contests away from home this season, Samford holds a 1-2-2 record. The Bulldogs own a 4-0 mark while playing at home. With its first victory in school history, Eastern Kentucky snapped a six-match winless streak and pulled off one of the biggest upsets in conference history. Samford outshot Eastern Kentucky, 18-4, but was unable to put one into the back of the net. GAME 10 Sept. 25, 2005 Morehead, Ky. (Att.: 202) Samford (6-2-2) 2 2 4 Morehead State (3-5-2) 0 0 0 MOR Marian Wagner (3) 33:41 (Kim Matthews), Candace Clippard (2) 40:50 (Wagner), Sharon Young (2) 73:43 (Heather Birdsell, Rebecca Bohler), Bohler (1) 79:30 (Birdsell) After being upset by Eastern Kentucky, 1-0, the two-time Ohio Valley Conference regularseason champion Samford Bulldogs returned to form on Sept. 25, turning in a resounding 4-0 victory over the Morehead State Eagles at Jayne Stadium. With the win, Samford snapped a brief two-match losing streak on the season and remained undefeated in its all-time rivalry against Morehead State. The Bulldogs hold a 3-0 record versus Morehead State and have outscored the Eagles 8-0. Marian Wagner, Samford s senior captain from Spring, Texas, scored the gamewinning goal and later tallied an assist. With her score at 33:41 in the contest, Wagner tied for first place on the Bulldogs all-time scoring list with 2004 graduate Lindsay Shanks. With Wagner s three goals, she has upped her career mark to 25. Also scoring goals for the Bulldogs were freshman Candace Clippard, junior Sharon Young and sophomore Rebecca Bohler. Kim Matthews, Heather Birdsell and Bohler were credited with assists in the contest. Bohler and Matthews tallied one assist apiece, while Birdsell assisted on a pair of goals against Morehead State. Samford s Cayley Winters played all 90:00 minutes in goal and earned her first career shutout. She recorded four key saves against Morehead State and improved her record to 2-1. Kim Matthews GAME 11 Sept. 30, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 373) Jacksonville State (5-5-1) 0 0 0 Samford (7-2-2) 1 1 2 JSU Rebecca Bohler (2) 13:27 (Valerie Kikkert, Cayley Winters), Bohler (3) 66:44 (Kim Matthews) Samford received a pair of goals from sophomore Rebecca Bohler Sept. 30, and the Bulldogs streaked to a 2-0 victory over the Jacksonville Gamecocks at Bulldog Field. With the win, Samford earned its fourth consecutive victory over the Gamecocks. The Bulldogs have an unblemished 5-0 mark in Birmingham this year and have not lost a match at home since Nov. 7, 2004. Samford s Bohler scored the gamewinning goal at 13:27 into the match and later tacked on her second score of the contest during the 67th minute, her second and third goals of the season against Jacksonville State. Including a second-half score at Morehead State Sept. 25, Bohler has scored each of Samford s last three goals. Bulldogs freshmen Valerie Kikkert and Cayley Winters each earned assists on Bohler s first goal, while Kim Matthews was credited with an assist on Samford s second score. Devon Paris GAME 12 Oct. 7, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 403) Tennessee Martin (7-7) 0 0 0 Samford (8-2-2) 2 0 2 UTM Rebecca Bohler (4) 1:19 (unassisted), Heather Birdsell (5) 17:34 (unassisted) Samford used a pair of unassisted first-half goals from Rebecca Bohler and Heather Birdsell to cruise past the Tennessee Martin Skyhawks, 2-0, Oct. 7 at Bulldog Field. Samford s freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters recorded her third consecutive shutout in the victory and registered five saves. In seven games this season, she has allowed only one goal and has tallied 16 stops. With the win, Samford extended its winning streak to three consecutive games and remained undefeated against Tennessee Martin. In the all-time series between the teams, which dates back to 2003, the Bulldogs own a 3-0 record. Samford has never allowed the Skyhawks to score a goal and has outscored Tennessee Martin 4-0. At 1:19 into the match, Bulldogs sophomore forward Bohler scored the team s first goal of the night and her fourth-straight Samford goal. A little over 16 minutes later, Birdsell scored to give Samford its 2-0 advantage. Birdsell, the Bulldogs leading scorer with five goals this season, sent a long shot toward the box from approximately 35 yards away. GAME 13 Oct. 9, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 264) Murray State (5-8-1) 1 0 1 Samford (8-3-2) 0 0 0 MUR Rebekah Clay (5) 30:17 (unassisted) Samford dropped its first home match of the season Oct. 9 when the Murray State Racers used a first-half goal from Rebekah Clay to upend the Bulldogs in Ohio Valley Conference action, 1-0. Clay scored the Racers game-winning goal at 30:17 into the match. The score came on Murray State s lone shot on goal and only its second attempt of the game. Samford outshot the Racers, 13-6, and five of the Bulldogs 13 shots were on goal. With the defeat, Samford lost its first match at home since Nov. 7, 2004. The Bulldogs had reeled off six consecutive victories at Bulldog Field. Samford s Heather Birdsell, Rebecca Bohler and Marian Wagner paced the offensive attack with three shots apiece, while Krista Llewellyn led Murray State with two shot attempts in the game. The Racers Clay scored the lone goal of the game from 5 yards out. The score was her fifth of the season. GAME 14 Oct. 14, 2005 Charleston, Ill. (Att.: 166) Samford (9-3-2) 0 1 1 Eastern Illinois (6-8-1) 0 0 0 EIU Lauren Faubion (2) 67:53 (Devon Paris) Samford kept its Ohio Valley Conference championship hopes alive Oct. 14, posting a critical 1-0 victory over previously undefeated Eastern Illinois at Lakeside Field. Samford s true freshman Lauren Faubion scored the game-winning goal during the 68th minute of play, her second of the season. Cayley Winters, also a freshman, turned in a stellar performance in goal by making three key saves en route to her fourth shutout of the season. With the win, Samford earned its first victory against the Panthers in five games. Since 2003, the foes have rivaled each other for the top spot in the OVC and have played to three one-goal matches in five meetings. A fourth match ended with Eastern Illinois edging the Bulldogs in penalty kicks. Faubion, a forward from McKinney, Texas, slammed home the game-winning goal at 67:53 in the match. GAME 15 Oct. 16, 2005 Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Att.: 224) Samford (10-3-2) 2 1 3 Southeast Missouri (9-4-1) 1 0 1 SEMO Kim Matthews (3) 23:12 (Rebecca Bohler), Kim Matthews (4) 34:47 (Valerie Kikkert), Lauren Faubion (3) 81:14 (Sara Geiger) Casey Craft (1) 28:40 (unassisted) Samford received a pair of goals from junior Kim Matthews Oct. 16, and the Bulldogs fought their way to a 3-1 victory against the Southeast Missouri Redhawks at Houck Stadium. With the win, Samford completed a pivotal weekend sweep on the road against two of the conference s top teams. Southeast Missouri had its two-game winning streak snapped and lost its second contest at home this season. The Redhawks Rebecca Mock 50 51

had a seven-match unbeaten streak at home before the defeat. In the physical contest, 31 fouls were called throughout the match. Samford was whistled for 13 infractions, while the Redhawks committed 18. Samford s Matthews scored her first of two goals at 23:12 in the first half. Sophomore Rebecca Bohler was credited with the assist on the score. Bohler, a native of Augusta, Ga., leads the team with six assists this season. A little over five minutes after Matthews opening goal, Southeast Missouri evened the score at 1-1 with an unassisted goal from Casey Kraft. The Bulldogs bounced right back at 34:47 when Matthews tallied her second score of the contest to give Samford a 2-1 advantage. With the score, Matthews recorded her first multigoal performance of the season, the second of her collegiate career. With less than 10 minutes remaining, Samford s Lauren Faubion tallied the team s third goal. GAME 16 Oct. 21, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 202) Tennessee Tech (6-11) 0 1 1 Samford (11-3-2) 0 2 2 TTU Joni Simmons (6) 70:15 (Ashley Vidal) Lauren Faubion (4) 76:32 (Rebecca Bohler), Rebecca Mock (1) 87:20 (Marian Wagner) Samford turned in a late second-half rally to defeat the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, 2-1, Oct. 21. The Bulldogs Lauren Faubion and Rebecca Mock each scored crucial goals in the come-from-behind victory. Trailing, 1-0, with 14:28 left on the clock, Samford evened the score and regained the momentum in the match as Faubion knocked in the equalizing goal off a Rebecca Bohler corner kick. The assist was Bohler s OVC-leading seventh of the season. The goal was Faubion s fourth of the season and her third in the last three matches. Tennessee Tech received a goal from junior Joni Simmons during the 71st minute of play to take the opening lead. On the score, the Golden Eagles Ashley Vidal sent a deep centering pass into the penalty box. The ball then skidded past Samford s freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters and bounced directly to Simmons on the endline. With the score of the match deadlocked at 1-1, Samford s Rebecca Mock scored the game-winning goal with only 2:40 remaining Sharon Young in the contest. The crucial goal was her first of the season. On the play, senior Marian Wagner gained possession of the ball at midfield, outran a pair of Golden Eagle defenders and found Mock wide open on the far left of the field. The goal gave Samford its third consecutive victory and kept the Bulldogs hopes for a third straight OVC regular-season title alive. GAME 17 Oct. 23, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 201) Austin Peay (9-8) 0 1 1 Samford (12-3-2) 2 2 4 APSU Ashley Beck (6) 80:00 (Melissa Aquino) Heather Birdsell (6) 7:18 (Kim Matthews), Birdsell (7) 23:17 (unassisted), Matthews (5) 52:38 (Sharon Young), Cassie Applegate (1) 66:42 (Rebecca Bohler) Samford earned its third consecutive OVC regular-season title Oct. 23 when the Bulldogs defeated the Austin Peay Lady Govs, 4-1, and Eastern Illinois fought to a 0-0 draw against Murray State. Samford, which needed Eastern Illinois to either lose or tie, concluded its conference season with 21 points, while Eastern Illinois finished second in the league with 20. Austin Peay concluded the year as the fifth-place team in the conference. The Bulldogs Heather Birdsell scored a pair of first-half goals to give Samford an early 2-0 lead. Birdsell, a sophomore from Plano, Texas, scored her first goal of the match at 7:18 and was set up neatly by Kim Matthews. The second score came off a 25- yard direct kick that Birdsell snuck past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the goal. Samford extended its lead to 3-0 early in the second half as Matthews scored her fifth goal of the season. On the play, Matthews gathered a cross-field centering pass from Sharon Young and beat Austin Peay s goalkeeper Sarah Broadbent with a 15-yard shot top shelf. Young earned an assist on the play, her second of the season. The Bulldogs scored their fourth goal of the contest during the 67th minute. Cassie Applegate, a sophomore from Zionsville, Ind., headed in the score off a pass from Rebecca Bohler. GAME 18 Oct. 25, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 425) Samford (13-3-2) 0 2 2 Birmingham-Southern (6-10-1) 1 0 1 BSC Sara Geiger (1) 77:09 (Heather Birdsell), Sharon Young (3) 79:32 (Rebecca Bohler) Catherine Spiker (1) 4:28 (penalty kick) Samford rallied for a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over the Birmingham-Southern Panthers Oct. 25, when the Bulldogs received a pair of key second-half goals from Sara Geiger and Sharon Young to earn a dramatic win. With the victory, Samford extended its winning streak to five consecutive games and increased its advantage in the all-time series to 4-2-1. With less than 13 minutes to play and Birmingham-Southern leading, 1-0, Samford s Geiger scored the equalizing goal. On the score, Geiger was set up by a pass from Heather Birdsell. Birdsell gained possession of the ball on Samford s half of the field, darted past a trio of Birmingham- Southern defenders and sent a centering pass ahead to Geiger. The ball hit Geiger s feet perfectly in stride, and the Bulldogs junior from Lilburn, Ga., placed a shot neatly into the bottom right corner of the net. Less than three minutes after Geiger s score, junior Sharon Young tallied her third goal of the season to give the Bulldogs their decisive 2-1 lead. On the play, Samford s Rebecca Bohler took a direct kick and sent the ball ahead of the line toward Young. Young ran toward the net at full speed, jumped up and headed a shot into the goal. GAME 19 Oct. 28, 2005 Birmingham, Ala. (Att.: 412) Belmont (3-12-1) 0 0 0 Samford (14-3-2) 0 2 2 BEL Lauren Faubion (5) 69:39 (Rebecca Bohler), Faubion (6) 74:29 (Bohler) Samford won its school-record 14th match of the 2005 season Oct. 28 when the Bulldogs used a pair of Lauren Faubion goals to defeat the Belmont Bruins, 2-0, on Senior Night at Bulldog Field. Sophomore Rebecca Bohler assisted on both of Faubion s goals and set Samford s single-season assist record with 11. Seniors Emily Morris and Marian Wagner were honored before the match in the final home performances of their collegiate careers. Morris started at goalkeeper and earned a share of the shutout victory along with freshman Cayley Winters. Wagner helped pace the Bulldogs offensive attack with three shot attempts, two of which were on goal. With the win, Samford closed out its regular season with a 9-1 record at home. In their home matches, the Bulldogs outscored the opposition 22-4. The victory also helped this year s Samford squad surpass the 2002 team in total wins with 14. After Samford fought for one of its eight corner kicks of the contest, Bohler served up a ball directly in front of the net that Faubion was able to head past Belmont s goalkeeper. The score occurred at 69:39 in the contest. Less than five minutes later, Bohler increased her record-setting total to 11 assists in one season as she fed Faubion for another goal to make the score of the match 2-0. OVC TOURNAMENT SEMIFINAL Nov. 4, 2005 Charleston, Ill. (Att.: 144) PERIOD 1 2 OT 2OT FINAL #4 Murray State 0 0 0 0 0 (3) (8-10-3) #1 Samford 0 0 0 0 0 (4) (14-3-3) MUR Samford advanced to its third consecutive OVC Tournament championship game Nov. 4, moving past the Murray State Racers via penalty kicks, 4-3, at Lakeside Field. In the semifinal match, the teams played to a 0-0 draw through regulation and then remained scoreless in both overtime periods. After 110:00 minutes of play, the game was decided by a penalty kick shootout. Samford s Rebecca Bohler, Sara Geiger, Shay Helmbock and Devon Paris all scored in the shootout. Samford, which extended its undefeated streak to seven consecutive games, outshot the Racers, 15-4. Bulldogs freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters made the game-winning save on Murray State s final attempt from Laura Oppegard. The Bulldogs finished the contest with four shots on goal, compared to Murray State s one. Samford rattled off four shots during overtime, while Murray State was held without a shot. In the penalty kick shootout, Samford was leading, 3-2, before Murray State s Jen Nowak suffered the first miss of the period as Winters forced her shot off the left post. The Bulldogs Paris then scored to put Samford ahead, 4-2. Continuing in the shootout, OVC Freshman of the Year Rebekah Clay scored to the right side to make the score 4-3. Then Annie Fortier stopped a shot by Marian Wagner, putting the pressure on Oppegard. In the final attempt of the five-round shootout, Oppegard fired a shot to the left side of the goal, but Winters dove headlong toward the post and stopped the ball to secure the victory. OVC TOURNAMENT FINAL Nov. 6, 2005 Charleston, Ill. (Att.: 567) #2 Eastern Illinois (9-10-2) 0 0 0 #1 Samford (15-3-3) 0 1 1 EIU Sharon Young (4) 77:28 (Rebecca Bohler) Samford made history Nov. 6, earning its first-ever berth in the NCAA College Cup by defeating the Eastern Illinois Panthers, 1-0, at Lakeside Field. With the win, Samford earned the 2005 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament title. Junior Sharon Young was named the Most Valuable Player. Young, a native of Powder Springs, Ga., scored the game-winning goal during the 78th minute of play. True freshman Cayley Winters earned the shutout in goal, her sixth of the season. She didn t allow a single goal in 200 minutes of the OVC Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team. With the score knotted at 0-0 late in the second half, Samford was fouled deep in Eastern Illinois territory and was awarded a direct kick. On the ensuing set piece, the Bulldogs Rebecca Bohler sent a high, lofting ball in front of Eastern Illinois goal. The pass bounced directly in front of the Panthers net, bounded off a pair of defenders and found its way to the right post. With the ball a mere few feet from the goal line, Samford s Young gained possession and slammed it into the back of the net. The goal was Young s fourth of the season. Bohler, the 2005 OVC Offensive Player of the Year, was credited with an assist on the play, her league-leading 12th of the season. Samford s Heather Birdsell, Rebecca Mock, Winters and Young were all named to the 2005 OVC Tournament Team. Cassie Applegate 52 53

NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND Nov. 11, 2005 Nashville, Tenn. (Att.: 623) PERIOD 1 2 OT 2OT FINAL Samford (15-3-4) 1 0 0 0 1 (5) #19 Vanderbilt (16-3-3) 1 0 0 0 1 (4) Marian Wagner (4) 41:58 (Cassie Applegate) #19 VU Katie Schulz (1) 43:38 (unassisted) Samford continued to make school history Nov. 11 when the Bulldogs used a 5-4 advantage in a penalty-kick shootout to upend the 19th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores. By advancing, they became the first women s team in Samford history to win an NCAA Tournament contest. Senior Marian Wagner scored the Bulldogs lone goal in the victory and registered the deciding score in the penalty-kick shootout. Samford scored on all five penalty kicks. Rebecca Bohler, Sara Geiger, Shay Helmbock and Devon Paris also tallied goals. Vanderbilt had its share of scoring opportunities in the contest, but Samford s freshman goalkeeper Cayley Winters made a career-high 11 saves. The most important save of the game was Winters deflection of Monica Buff s shot during the penalty-kick shootout. Samford scored the game s initial goal with 3:02 remaining in the opening period as Wagner tallied the record-setting 26th goal of her career. The play was initiated by sophomore Heather Birdsell and was continued by Cassie Applegate, who earned her first assist of the season. Birdsell, a two-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer, gained possession at midfield, outran a Vanderbilt defender and lofted a pass ahead to Applegate. Applegate then rifled a shot at goal, but was stopped by the Commodores Tyler Griffin. Griffin s deflection sent the ball out to Wagner at the top of the penalty box, where she snaked a shot into the bottom left corner of the net. The goal was Wagner s fourth of the season. With the score, Wagner took sole possession of the top position on Samford s all-time goals list. The Bulldogs midfielder from Spring, Texas, set the school-record with 26 goals and surpassed 2004 Samford graduate Lindsay Shanks. Wagner also became the school s alltime leader in points with 68. NCAA TOURNAMENT SECOND ROUND Nov. 13, 2005 Nashville, Tenn. (Att.: 211) Samford (15-4-4) 0 0 0 #16 Pepperdine (15-3-3) 1 1 2 #16 PEP Megan Woods (11) 38:41 (Emily Wynne), Woods (12) 71:19 (penalty kick) Samford s dream season came to an end Nov. 13 when the Bulldogs dropped a hard-fought 2-0 contest against the Pepperdine Waves in the second round of the NCAA College Cup. Samford concluded its 2005 campaign with a school record in wins. It was the first Ohio Valley Conference team to advance in an NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs were also the first women s squad in school history to accomplish the feat. Pepperdine s Megan Woods scored both goals in the win. The Waves jumped in front during the first half of play as senior Woods scored her 11th goal of the 2005 campaign at 38:41. Freshman Emily Wynne assisted on the score. Woods, Pepperdine s points leader with 34, gathered a forwarding pass from Wynne and sliced a shot into the bottom right corner of the net. The play was created by Wynne as she stole an errant Samford pass near midfield, drew the remaining defenders and placed a pass to Woods on the left flank. Samford attempted 13 shots in the game, with sophomore Heather Birdsell leading the way with six. Three of Birdsell s attempts were on goal. With 32:43 remaining in the contest, Samford s Rebecca Bohler came merely inches shy from tying the score at 1-1. Bohler, 2005 OVC Player of the Year, rifled a shot from the left wing that Pepperdine s goalkeeper, Anna Picarelli, was able to get a finger on and tipped the ball over the crossbar. A little over two minutes following Picarelli s save, Samford s Birdsell worked her way to a one-on-one with the Waves goalkeeper, but Pepperdine s 5-5 senior was able to make the stop on Birdsell s attempt. The Bulldogs two seniors Marian Wagner and Emily Morris competed in the final game of their four-year careers. During their time at Samford, the pair helped the program to a 50-21-11 record and its first appearance in an NCAA Tournament. 54