GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) women's soccer team is set to conclude its regular season slate at Samford on Sunday on Shauna Yelton Field in The Southern Conference (SoCon) action.
 
UNCG is currently sixth in the SoCon with 12 points, while Samford has 17 points and is second. Western Carolina won the 2024 SoCon Regular Season title on Thursday with a win against Furman. With a UNCG win and some help across the conference, the Spartans would take the third seed into the Tournament. With a tie, Samford would take the second seed in the Tournament and the Spartans would be sixth.
 

 
SERIES HISTORY
Samford leads the overall series 12-3-1. The Bulldogs took last season's game 3-0 in Greensboro and are on a seven-game unbeaten streak against UNCG. The Spartans last won in 2017, 2-1, in double overtime.
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS
UNCG fell to Western Carolina last Sunday at UNCG Soccer Stadium, 2-0. The Catamounts scored in each half for the victory, first in the 23^rd minute and then in the 79^th minute. The Spartans held the edge in shots, 10-9. In net, Emma Malone had two saves, while the Catamounts had three. UNCG had the advantage in corner kicks, 3-2.
 
ABOUT THE SPARTANS

• Ava Kiss paces the team with eight points, scoring three goals and two assists this season.
• Merle Greulich is second on the team with three goals and one assist for seven points.
• Taylor Mentzer and Morgan Brubaker each have scored three goals for six points.
• Mel Herrera, Bailey Gourdine, Rachel Poplin and Azumi Oka have each chipped in one goal.
• Along with Kiss, Nicole Hutchinson, Mairead Gayer and Ryen Ortiz each have two helpers.
• In net, Malone has started in 15 games and played in 16 giving up 17 goals for 1.10 goals against average.
• The Spartans have the edge over their opponents in shots, 184-148, and corner kicks, 70-69.
• UNCG had 25 shots against the Keydets and it was the first game since Sept. 7, 2023, when the Spartans had 20 or more shots. The Spartans had 20 shots against Coastal Carolina that day and won 3-0.
• UNCG has lost five games by one goal this season, which included when then-ranked No. 22 Colorado defeated the Spartans, 1-0, in August.
• Among the SoCon, UNCG is second in goals against average (1.06), third in shutout percentage (.313) and fourth in save percentage (.746).
• Malone was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 1 for a 1-0 clean sheet against Chattanooga. This was her second career weekly award.
• She earned her first honor on Sept. 3. This was the Spartans' first SoCon Player of the Week since Oct. 28, 2022, when Nadia Wilson earned the award and first SoCon Defensive Player of the Week since Sept. 27, 2022, when Abby Buchholz earned the recognition.
• Head Coach Stefani Workman is in her first year at the helm of the Spartans and eighth year overall with the Blue & Gold.
• The Spartans were voted to finish seventh in the 2024 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Spartans added six freshmen and one graduate transfer to the 2024 roster.

 
SCOUTING SAMFORD

• Samford was voted to finish second in the 2024 SoCon Preseason Coaches' Poll and the Bulldogs also took two of the 10 first-place votes.
• Whitaker Buchanan and Ella Simpson were selected to the Preseason All-Conference team.
• The Bulldogs are currently on a seven-game unbeaten streak with their most recent game being a 2-2 draw to ETSU in Tennessee.
• Samford holds the advantage against its opponents in shots, 220-210, and shots on goal, 105-102, while the Bulldogs' foes have the edge in corner kicks, 74-69.
• Buchanan and Layton Glisson lead the team with 13 points each. Glisson paces the team with five goals and three assists, while Buchanan has a team-best seven assists and three goals.
• Glisson is 37^th nationally in shot accuracy (.588).
• Buchanan is 29^th nationally in total assists (7).
• Sam De Luca is third on the team with 10 points (4g, 2a).
• Among the SoCon, Samford is third in 10 categories, including assists per game (1.41), points per game (5.06), scoring offense (1.82), shot accuracy (.477), shots per game (12.94), shots on goal per game (6.18), total assists (24), total goals (31), total points (86) and won-lost-tied percentage (.559).

 
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UP NEXT
The Spartans and the rest of the SoCon teams will learn their fate in the 2024 SoCon Tournament following the conclusion of all regular season games on Sunday.

The Tournament is set to begin on Oct. 29 with two first round games, with the highest seed hosting each contest. The quarterfinals will follow on Nov. 1, semifinals on Nov. 3 and then the championship on Nov. 10. Quarterfinals and semifinals will be hosted at the first and second seeded teams.