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November 9, 2011
Soccer Heads to NCAA Tournament as SoCon Champions
In front of a packed house at the Samford University Student Center Nov. 7, the Southern Conference champion Samford University soccer team learned that its first-round opponent in the 2011 NCAA Tournament will be the eighth-ranked Florida State Seminoles.
The teams will square off Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. CST at the Seminole Soccer Complex in Tallahassee, Fla. The game will be broadcast live over WVSU 91.1.-FM or via the Internet at www.samford.edu/wvsu. The broadcast will start at 5:45 p.m. CST.
Samford earned the NCAA bid by defeating College of Charleston, 1-0, in the Nov. 6 championship match in Greensboro, N.C. In the Nov. 4 semifinals, Samford defeated Furman 1-0 in double-overtime. Earlier Samford had defeated Western Carolina 2-1 in the quarterfinals in a game played at the Samford Soccer Complex.
Samford (14-5-2) heads into the NCAA Tournament riding the positive momentum of a school-record 10-match winning streak. The Bulldogs have also tallied a school-record undefeated streak of 14-consecutive contests, dating back to a hard-fought 2-0 setback at Vanderbilt on Sept. 18.
In 2011, Samford went undefeated in conference play and garnered its first SoCon regular-season title in school history. On Sunday, the Bulldogs continued their dominance in SoCon play.
In the victory, junior Adrianne Mancino scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to secure the Bulldogs' win and Samford's first SoCon Tournament title. The score was Mancino's third of the 2011 campaign.
Samford goalkeeper Alyssa Whitehead notched her eighth shutout of the season, and second of the weekend, while corralling four shots. The clean sheet was the 34th of Whitehead's career, moving her into a tie with UNCG's Kelsey Kearney for the second-most in conference history and the most among active players.
The Bulldogs' Shanika Thomas was named the Most Outstanding Player of the SoCon Tournament, while Samford's Mancino, Sarah Wilkinson and Whitehead were also named to the all-tournament team.
Friday's first-round matchup marks the first meeting between the Seminoles and the Bulldogs.
Florida State will serve as a host for the first round for the eighth time in school history. In 2007, Samford squared off against LSU at the Seminole Soccer Complex and dropped a hard-fought 1-0 decision in double-overtime.
The Seminoles own a record of 21-1-0 all-time on their home turf in NCAA Tournament action. Florida State earned a national seed for the seventh straight year and for the eighth time in the last nine.
Samford's title is its first as a member of the SoCon, although the Bulldogs will be making their third NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. Prior to joining the conference, Samford advanced to the postseason in both 2005 and 2007.
Tickets are on sale over the phone at 888-FSU-NOLE, in person at the Seminole Ticket Office located in side C of the University Center, and online at seminoles.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Seminole Soccer Complex beginning at 6 p.m. EST, on Friday.
2011 NCAA Tournament
Samford at Florida State
Seminole Soccer Complex - Tallahassee, Fla.
Ticket Pricing (Single Game Ticket)
$7 - Adults
$5 - Youth, 12 & under, senior 50+ and students from participating schools
Free - Children 2 & under
