Alabama
Samford
Alabama Soccer Travels to Samford on Tuesday Night
9/12/2016 5:55:00 PM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama soccer team will travel just down the road to Birmingham, Ala., to take on the Samford Bulldogs on Tuesday at the Samford Track and Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. CT.
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Twitter: @Alabama Soccer
BEST START SINCE 2005 SEASON
In the first two weekends of play, Alabama registered wins over Sam Houston State, 5-0, Murray State, 4-2, Campbell, 4-0 and Chattanooga, 1-0, registering a 4-0 record to begin the season. During the third weekend of play, the Crimson Tide was topped by No. 20 USF, 1-0, before it went on to shutout Florida Gulf Coast, 1-0, to improve to an overall 5-1 record. The 1-0 shutout over FGCU marks the fourth shutout of the season, which is the most shutouts through the first six games of a campaign since the 2012 season. Last weekend, Alabama topped the Tennessee Volunteers, 5-1, in Knoxville, Tenn., to begin Southeastern Conference play. The win over Tennessee marks the first SEC road opener victory since the 2014 season, when Alabama defeated Tennessee in a 1-0 decision that went into double overtime. The 5-1 decisive victory over Tennessee marks the largest recorded win over an SEC opponent in program history. With the win, Alabama improves to an overall 6-1 record marking the best start since the 2005 campaign (6-1). With a win on Tuesday, the Tide will improve to an overall 7-1 record marking the best start since the 2002 campaign.
TEAM & INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL ATTENTION
Alabama's strong start to the 2016 season has earned national attention, as the team is ranked in the top-50 in many different major categories. The offense in particular has earned national notoriety, as it is ranked the No. 10 in scoring offense in the nation averaging 2.86 goals per game. Alabama's 20 goals this season ranks No. 15 in the NCAA, while the Tide is ranked No. 19 in points per game averaging 7.86. In regards to winning percentage, the Tide is ranked No. 21 with a 0.857 percentage. The offensive regime is also ranked No. 22 in the nation in total points with 56, and it is No. 36 in total assists accumulating 16 on the season. Defensively, Alabama is ranked No. 30 in shutout percentage with an impressive 0.571 percentage.
The Tide has four individuals who have also earned national attention with their performances thus far this season. Junior Lacey Clarida is tied for sixth in the NCAA in game-winning goals with three. Sophomores Abbie Boswell and Emma Welch are tied for No. 12 in the country in total assists with five, and they are also tied for No. 17 in assists per game averaging 0.71. Clarida is No. 19 in total goals with six, and she and Boswell are tied for No. 29 in total points with 13 so far this season. In shots on goal per game, Clarida is No. 34 averaging 2.17. Junior goalkeeper Kat Stratton is nationally ranked in two categories between the posts. Stratton is tied for No. 27 in shutouts with three this year, and she is No. 41 in goals against average with a slim 0.604 average.
LEADING THE SEC
Alabama ranks in the top five in eight major offensive categories in the Southeastern Conference. The Tide leads in shutouts and shots with four and 145, respectively. The Alabama defense is tied for runner-up in goals allowed with four. The Tide is third in goals (20), points (56), goals per game (2.86) and goals against average (0.57). The high octane offense has tallied 16 total assists this year, which ranks fourth in the SEC.
Individually, the Tide has student-athletes that are ranked in the top-five in seven different categories. Welch and Boswell are tied for third in total assists and assists per game with five and 0.71, respectively. Clarida is runner-up in game-winning goals with three. Defensively, Stratton is ranked in the top-five in four different sections. The gifted goalkeeper is runner-up in save percentage (0.840), shutouts (3), shutouts per game (0.43) and she is third in goals against average (0.60).
UNDER HEAD COACH WES HART
The Crimson Tide is in its second year under the helm of Wes Hart. Hart's inaugural season had a major focus on transition and the future of the program. Highlights from his inaugural season included Hart's first win as a head coach that came in the home opener against Troy (Aug. 23, 2015), handing Wake Forest its first shutout of the year (Aug. 28, 2015), giving LSU its first loss of the season (Sept. 11, 2015) in the 3-2 double overtime comeback win and a hard fought double overtime win at Georgia (Oct. 16, 2016), which marked Hart's first road win.
Home game attendance increased significantly in Hart's first season, as the Tide drew over 719 fans per game – the largest average since the 2012 season. The Alabama Soccer Complex saw a crowd of 1,575 for its first game against Troy (Aug. 23, 2015), the second-highest single-game home attendance in program history. Fans then answered the call to keep attendance in the quadruple digits later that week against Wake Forest (Aug. 28, 2015), when 1,007 fans packed the Soccer Complex.
The 5-0 victory against Sam Houston State marks Hart's first win in a season opener with the Tide. So far in Hart's second campaign, the Tide has outshot its opponents by an impressive 145-61 margin and it has compiled 20 goals compared to the opponents four. Alabama has tallied 16 assists limiting its opponents to two, and it has picked up 56 total points while holding its opponents to just 10 points. The Tide also dominates the corner kick category, where it has a substantial lead on the opposition, 44-14. With the shutout against Florida Gulf Coast, Hart has registered ten shutouts since he arrived to Tuscaloosa. Last weekend, Alabama topped the Tennessee Volunteers, 5-1, in Knoxville, Tenn., to begin Southeastern Conference play. The 5-1 decisive victory over Tennessee marks the largest recorded win over an SEC opponent in program history. With the win, Alabama improves to an overall 6-1 record marking the best start since the 2005 campaign (6-1).
SERIES HISTORY – SAMFORD
Tuesday's match against Samford marks the sixth time in program history the two have faced each other, as Alabama holds a 4-1 lead on the series. Last time the two played each other was in 2012, and the Tide won in a 2-1 decision in Tuscaloosa. Samford's lone victory over Alabama was during the 2009 season. The Bulldogs enter Tuesday's match with an overall 1-2-2 record.
COMING UP
After Tuesday's match, the Tide will travel to Lexington, Ken., on Sunday, Sept. 18, to take on Kentucky in a match that is to be broadcasted on the SEC Network at 4 p.m. CT.
Get all the latest information on the team by following AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. General athletic news can also be found at UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook.
