Thursday Night Preview
The Samford University soccer team will host the Georgia State Panthers on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at Shauna Yelton Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Admission to the match is free and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The two programs have met nine times, with Georgia State holding a 5‑3‑1 edge in the all‑time series. Samford, however, has won the last three encounters, including a 3‑0 victory in Atlanta last season, and enters the contest with a 1‑0‑1 start after opening the year with a 2‑0 win over Belmont.
Goalkeeper Peyton Hull has been a cornerstone for the Bulldogs, posting a shutout in her second appearance of the season and earning SoCon Defensive Player of the Week honors. Freshman forward Martha Bishop contributed a goal in the Belmont win, while Hayven Laurendine also found the net.
Midfielders Brinley Murphy and Addison Smith assisted on the winning goals, and the team’s early chemistry is already showing. Coach Todd Yelton, now in his 342nd career match, looks to keep the momentum against a Sun Belt Conference opponent.
Georgia State, sitting at 1‑1 after a 4‑2 loss to UAB and a 7‑0 win over Truett McConnell, will rely on Aaliyah Faddoul, who leads the team with four goals and an assist, and goalkeeper Alondra Iriarte, who has already made several key saves.