The Chattanooga women's soccer team sits alone atop the Southern Conference standings at 4-0 and will host defending league champion Samford Friday night in the Mocs' annual Pink Out game for breast cancer awareness.
The Mocs and Bulldogs first met in 1998 before Samford joined the SoCon. Samford won the first match3-2 in overtime in Birmingham and the Mocs won in 1999, 2-0 at home. Since them, Samford has won 14 meetings and the two teams battled to ta scoreless draw in Chattanooga in the 2021 Spring COVID season. Samford leads the series 15-1-1.
The Mocs have started league competition with four consecutive wins, all by one goal, including an own goal by UNCG in the last match. UTC is averaging 1.18 goals and 11.2 shots per game. Clarissa Salinas leads the team in goals scored (3) and points (8). Mackenzie Smith and Shelby Hash each have two goals apiece. Smith, Birna Johannsdottir and Caroline Richvalsky each are second on the team in scoring with five points apiece while Johannsdottir and Richvalsky have a team-best three assists each. Caroline Ekern has recorded six wins with one loss and a pair of ties while making 24 saves on the year and has a 1.03 goals against average with four shutouts.
After opening the SoCon season with a 1-0 loss to The Citadel at home, the Bulldogs have gone unbeaten over the last three games with wins at UNCG and VMI last weekend. Samford has 19 goals on the year with a 1.46 goals per game and average 15.5 shots an outing. Kylie Gazza leads the team with four goals and nine points. Ella Simpson and Layton Glisson each have three goals while Kyla Reynolds has two goals, both game winners. Emma Donley has played in goal over the last three matches after Morgan McAslan started the previous 10. Donley is 2-0-1, all against the SoCon, has one shutout on 18 shots faced with four saves (0.571%) and three goals allowed for a 1.00 goals against average.