Soccer Hosts Samford Friday in NCAA Tournament

No. 7 Georgia (12-5-3, 5-3-2 SEC) vs. Samford (11-3-7, 5-1-3 SoCon)
Date: Friday, Nov. 11
Time: 6 p.m. EST
Location: Athens, Ga.
Site: Turner Soccer Complex (1,682)

MEDIA INFORMATION
Live Stream: ESPN+ (Kaleb Frady, PxP)
Live Stats: NCAA.com
Twitter: @UGASoccer
Instagram: @UGASoccer

Social Media: For complete information on Georgia soccer, follow the team on its social media channels via @UGASoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

QUICK KICKS
Bulldog Battle
Georgia opens its first NCAA Tournament since 2014 with a home matchup against Southern Conference regular season and tournament champion Samford Friday evening at Turner. This is the first NCAA Tournament match in Athens since 2007 and only the fourth in program history. Georgia enters the field with the seventh seed in the Notre Dame quadrant of the bracket and, if victorious, will face the winner of the North Carolina-Old Dominion match next weekend in the second round. Georgia enters the Big Dance with a six-match unbeaten streak, the program's longest-ever against all SEC opponents.

Georgia and Samford have faced off three times prior, with UGA holding a 2-0-1 advantage in the series. In the most recent meeting, the teams tied 1-1 in Birmingham on Sept. 8, 2017. Georgia head coach Keidane McAlpine is 1-2 all-time against Samford in his career but has not faced the Bulldogs since 2004 when he was at Birmingham-Southern.

Dawgs in the Dance
Georgia carries a 6-9-1 record in the NCAA Tournament, despite outscoring its tournament opponents by a 28-26 margin. The Bulldogs' last tournament victory came in the 2011 first round with a 2-0 win at Kansas. Georgia's longest postseason run came in 1998 when the program's inaugural senior class reached the Round of 16. All six previous tournament wins have come in the first round (1998, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011).

Running on the Beach
Georgia's run at the SEC Tournament ended in the semifinals as South Carolina advanced, 4-1, on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Following a Gamecock goal early in the second half, Dani Murguia converted a 75th-minute PK to knot the match, her second goal of the tournament. Jordan Brown set a new career high with six saves, including a remarkable double save at the start of the first overtime that ranked third on the SportsCenter Top 10 Plays. For their efforts, Murguia and Brown were named to the SEC All-Tournament Team.

Victory Over Vols
Georgia advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals with a 2-0 upset victory over third-seeded Tennessee on Nov. 1. With the win, the Bulldogs advanced in the tournament for the first time since 2014 and earned a tournament win for the first time since 2010. Despite being outshot, 15-11, first-half goals from Dani Murguia and Tori Penn, as well as five saves from Jordan Brown, helped the Bulldogs avenge the Lady Vols' 2-0 win earlier this season.

Brown Coming Up Big
Freshman goalkeeper Jordan Brown has made an immediate impact on Georgia, opening her career with four shutouts in her first six starts and back-to-back SEC Freshman of the Week honors. The Las Vegas native was the first keeper in program history to earn a clean sheet in each of her first three starts. With Brown in net, the Bulldogs posted shutout three straight SEC opponents for the first time since 2010 - the second-longest streak in program history.

Overall, the Georgia defense has been stout throughout the season with one of the most consistent lineups in the country. The Bulldogs have held opponents to an .075 shooting percentage and 72 corners. The 14 goals allowed, 11 shutouts, and 0.69 GAA this season are all tied for second in a season.

Road Warriors
Georgia's play away from home has been among the strongest in program history. The Bulldogs' five road wins are tied for second-most all-time, only trailing the seven won in 2011. The team is unbeaten in its last seven road contests (5 W, 2 T), the longest in-season streak in history. The Oct. 27 tie in Starkville secured the Bulldogs' second unbeaten road SEC slate ever (2007).

Spreading the Wealth
Through 20 matches, 15 different Bulldogs have scored this season, the second-most goal scorers in a single season. In the 1998 season, 16 different players netted a goal. In another sign of the Bulldogs' depth, 14 of Georgia's 40 goals this season (35 percent) have been scored by players coming off the bench.

Boyan Breaking Record
With her start against Kentucky, graduate midfielder Abby Boyan set a new program record for career starts (89), breaking the record held by Bulldog legend Carrie Patterson. With her start against Mississippi State, Boyan also broke Natalie Farley's record for most career appearances. She has now appeared and started in 91 matches. The Spring Lake, New Jersey native also ranks second in shots (199) and fifth in assists (19).

Fellow graduates Cecily Stoute and Dani Murguia have also reached the top of the appearances list with Murguia (90) and Stoute (88) ranking second and third all-time behind Boyan. Stoute is second in the starts list at 88.

Starting Fast
Georgia quickly took control of the Oct. 23 match at Kentucky as Madison Haugen scored 84 seconds in, the 10th-fastest score in program history. It was the fifth time this season the Bulldogs have scored in the first 10 minutes of play. This season, Georgia is 12-0 when they score first and 8-0 when leading at halftime, with Kentucky marking their first halftime lead of SEC play.

Hearty Home Slate
Georgia has faced one of the toughest home schedules in the country with four ranked opponents playing at Turner this season, tied for the most in a single season (1997, 2009, 2015). The Bulldogs played three consecutive ranked opponents in Athens (No. 8 South Carolina, No. 6 Alabama, No. 19 Tennessee), matching a run of three straight ranked home opponents in 2008 (No. 7 Virginia, No. 10 Stanford, No. 3 USC). Overall, Georgia ranks 28th nationally in strength of schedule.

Up Next
With a victory, Georgia will face the winner of Saturday's match between No. 2 North Carolina and Old Dominion in Chapel Hill (7 p.m., ESPN+). Georgia and North Carolina previously faced off in the 2009 NCAA Second Round with the Tar Heels prevailing, 4-0.

SPECTATOR INFORMATION
Admission to Turner Soccer Complex is $10 for all spectators with tickets available online at GeorgiaDogs.com. The first 200 student spectators will receive free admission to the match.

University of Georgia Athletics

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