Alabama Soccer Fails to Convert Chances and Falls to Samford, 1-0

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Crimson Tide looked dejected upon the final whistle of its match to Samford. Chances created, chances lost, and its inability to prove clinical in front of goal are some of what ultimately cost Alabama soccer the chance of improving to 4-1.

Alabama finished with 18 shots to Samford's six, though seven was the more telling figure. The Crimson Tide had seven shots on goal to Samford's three, which, mathematically, the Bulldogs' 50 percent conversion rate proved to have winning value versus the less than of Alabama.

"You look at the stats and that's about how it felt watching," Alabama coach Wes Hart said. "I thought Samford was excellent the first five, ten minutes of the game. I thought they kind of took it to us."

The seventh-year coach of the Crimson Tide confirmed the belief of everyone in attendance, whether they'd acknowledge it or not, that the Bulldogs, through pace and team speed, had Alabama out of sorts and looking for solutions in the early stages.

But it was more defensively than in attack, the Samford momentum, as the first and only goal of the match wasn't scored until the 55th minute when Bulldogs midfielder Alyssa Frazier met an incoming cross at her feet and finished the chance with a high shot above a leaping McKinley Crone in goal for the Crimson Tide.

And after that moment was when Alabama showed urgency as a collective for the first time tonight.

"As we settled into the game, especially in the second half, I thought it might have been our best half of soccer," Hart said. "We created a ton of opportunities, and our goalie made some big saves and cleared some off the line."

Put differently, the Samford keeper, Morgan McAslan, broke off a few more beads of sweat in the second 45 minutes. She kept a clean sheet throughout, but seven of the Crimson Tide's 14 shots in the second half made for a stressful night.

Midfielder Reyna Reyes floated from central midfield, then to the left side, then to the right side of the Alabama attack to help initiate rhythm and what the Crimson Tide had been lacking all night, a final pass to break the back line of the Bulldogs defense.

She did, and she nearly headed two goals for Alabama, though each appeared to barely graze the junior in her runs toward goal. Still, there were chances near and at the end, but Samford, when most threatened, made the necessary plays to preserve the win and move to 2-2-1 on the season.

"I'd be more concerned if we walked off this field having only created two or three chances, but the fact is we created some good chances," Hart said. "But we just weren't good enough today. We just didn't get the result we wanted."

Alabama falls to 3-2 with its loss tonight, and the Crimson Tide now travels to play Memphis on the road next. That's scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. CT.