The Troy soccer program is keeping it simple - and it's starting to work.

After a somewhat sluggish start that saw the Trojans fall to 0-2-1, Troy has climbed back near .500 with wins over Grambling State and The Citadel.

The Trojans (2-3-1) will look to even up their record today when they play host to in-state rival Samford University.

"More than anything we want to make sure we play our game," first-year head coach Diana Niland said.

"We'll look at some things as far as our opponent is concerned, but we are really going to concentrate on playing our game, and hopefully that will take care of everything."

Troy's game is simple.

"We just want to make sure we play simple soccer," Niland said.

"If you can't pass it forward, pass it backward. The key is to make sure we keep possession of the ball as much as we can and give ourselves opportunities to make plays, and then hopefully we will make some of those plays and get some wins. If we do that we should be successful."

The Trojans goal for today's match is clear.

"The goal is the same as any game and that's to win," junior captain Emily Cobb said. "No matter who it is you want to win, but you especially want to win when the other school is from your own state."

While on the surface another check in the win column seems like the obvious goal, things run a little deeper for a young Troy squad that features nine freshman and seven sophomores.

"We do have a young team as far as experience goes, but I don't feel like we reflect that in our attitude or the way we practice," senior captain Erin Doud said.

"That translates to the younger players really contributing to the team and carrying their weight. Even being young our goal is to get to the (Atlantic Sun Conference) tournament and do as well as we can, and that means win it."

The Trojans also have a goal of making the Trojan Soccer Complex as unfriendly as

possible.

"We want to win all of our home matches this season," Cobb said.

The Trojans will take a step in that direction today when the Bulldogs come to town.

The match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at the Trojan Soccer Complex.