auburn soccer – Syndication Server

Auburn bows out of NCAA Tournament in second round

The 2024 Auburn Tigers soccer season came to a disappointing end on Friday afternoon.

Once the most dominant team in the sport, the Tigers struggled down the stretch of the regular season before backing into the NCAA Tournament. Karen Hoppa’s Tigers opened up the postseason with a victory at home against FIU last week, but failed to reach the Sweet 16 after a 2-1 loss at the hands of Ohio State in the Round of 32.

Auburn looked like the better team for the majority of the first half on a cold Friday in North Carolina, but a failure to put away scoring opportunities led to a deadlocked score for much of the opening frame. Ohio State finally broke through with forward Kailyn Dudukovic’s 19th goal of the season. The Buckeyes would go onto score another goal, which turned out to be the deciding score, on an Amanda Schluete header with just a minute to play in the first half.

The pair of first half scores from the Buckeyes proved too much to overcome, as even a late goal by Olivia Woodson in the 85th minute was too little too late for Karen Hoppa’s squad. Auburn will now look towards 2025 in hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years for the first time in nearly two decades.

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Auburn moves onto second round of NCAA Tournament

The Auburn Tigers are five wins away from finishing their magical soccer season in a National Championship

The Auburn Tigers are five wins away from finishing their magical soccer season in a National Championship. Karen Hoppa’s squad opened up their NCAA Tournament run with a resounding 4-1 victory, leading Conference USA opponent Florida International end-to-end on Friday night.

Auburn began the scoring just four minutes into the contest after a beautiful Anna Haddock set piece led to a LJ Knox deflection in the box, resulting in an own goal by FIU. The Tigers continued to pressure the FIU backline throughout the opening half, again breaking through off of another Anna Haddock seat piece leading to the first goal of the season from Jessica Osborn. The Tigers would go on to add another pair of goals in the second stanza, including another season-first goal from junior defensive mid fielder Hayden Colson in the 87th minute of action.

The victory improved Auburn to a 9-0-3 record at home this season. With no more home contest on the schedule, the Tigers are have finished the season undefeated at home for the first time since 2003.

Up next for the Tigers is a No. 10 Ohio State on November 20. The two squads last met in early September, where a second half goal from Olivia Woodson was the deciding factor in a 1-0 victory. If Karen Hoppa’s Tigers can get by the Buckeyes again, they’ll head to the Elite 8 for the second time in school history.

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Auburn soccer earns home match with FIU to open NCAA Tournament

Auburn will host the Conference USA Tournament Champion FIU Panthers on November 15 to open postseason play.

The magical 2024 Auburn soccer season is not over just yet.

The Tigers, who scuffled down the stretch of a once dominant 2024 campaign, earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament after a 12-3-4 regular season.

Head coach Karen Hoppa’s Tigers will open their quest for a national championship at the Auburn Soccer Complex on November 15, where they will host the Conference USA Tournament Champion FIU Panthers at 6 PM CST. The Panthers, who finished the regular season 13-4-2, played one game against SEC competition this season, losing to Oklahoma in a 2-1 thriller early in the year.

Led by senior [autotag]Anna Haddock[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Olivia Woodson[/autotag] up front along with senior goalkeeper [autotag]Maddie Prohaska[/autotag] on the back line, the Tigers can make a deep run into the tournament if they can find the form that helped the team outscore opponents 30-0 to open the season.

The aforementioned Haddock is confident in her team’s ability to re-find what made them one of the best teams in the country early in the season.

“We have what we need to be successful this postseason,” Haddock said. “All that matters is each other… I’m excited to show everyone what we can do moving forward.”

This is the 18th time Auburn has been selected to ‘The Dance’ in its’ history. The Tigers’ best finish came back in 2016 when they made a run to the Elite 8 before bowing out at the hands of eventual National Champion USC. If Karen Hoppa hopes to lead the Tigers to their first Final Four in program history, it will take a major turnaround after Auburn ended its season winning just one of its final five games.

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Auburn soccer bows out of SEC Tournament in first round

The Tigers historic season will not include a SEC Tournament Championship.

After a somewhat disappointing finish to the regular season, the Auburn soccer team was unable to start the postseason on a positive note, losing a 2-1 thriller in the SEC Tournament opener to LSU.

The Tigers, who came into the game as the No. 6 seed in the tournament despite leading the conference in points for most of the season, now must hope for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament later this month.

Head coach Karen Hoppa’s Tigers started the season 8-0 in non-conference play, but struggled mightily throughout the SEC schedule, ultimately failing to pick up a win in their final three contest of the season. The two draws and loss sank Auburn to the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament, forcing them into a first-round matchup with No. 11 LSU, who they beat 4-0 earlier in the season. Unfortunately, things did not go as well for Auburn in the rematch. Following a scoreless first half, LSU scored a pair of goals in the 56th and 71st minute of action, forcing the Tigers into a hole they were never able to climb out of.

Auburn did out-shoot (8-4) LSU and controlled the possession for most of the game, but the Tigers’ inability to put away chances early and often led to their demise. Even though Karen Hoppa and the Tigers have now failed to capture a win in four straight contests, Auburn should still receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after a historic season in which the Tigers were consistently ranked among the top 25 in most polls.

While the Tigers have seemingly done enough to receive a bid, the NCAA Tournament committee ultimately has the final say. We will see whether the Tigers get the chance to compete for a National Championship when the NCAA Tournament field is announced on Monday, November 11. 33 at-large bids will be handed out to complete the 64-team field.

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Auburn soccer to open SEC Tournament Sunday afternoon

The Tigers will face either Alabama or LSU in the first round

Auburn soccer will open up its SEC Tournament on Sunday afternoon against either Alabama or LSU. The Tigers, who fell down to the No. 6 seed in the SEC following a brutal travel schedule in October creating only two home games, will open up play against the No. 11 seed at 2 PM CST on Sunday.

Karen Hoppa’s squad played both the Crimson Tide and Tigers early in October, taking down LSU in Baton Rouge 4-0 before drawing 1-1 with Alabama at home a few days later. Despite the lopsided result, coach Hoppa made sure to point out LSU has been playing “much, much better since [Auburn] played them in the beginning of the season”.

While the Tigers have had a fantastic season, an early loss in the SEC Tournament may be detrimental to their hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament. Only 33 teams receive at-large bids to the dance, and Auburn’s late season struggles may sway the committee to look in another direction. One way the Tigers can avoid “sweating out” the bracket reveal is by taking care of business in Pensacola next week.

In order to do that, Auburn will have to win four games in seven days. If the Tigers can take care of business in the opener, they will face off with No. 3 seed Texas, who they did not play during the regular season. The SEC Tournament begins on Sunday, November 3. The Championship is scheduled one week later, Sunday November 10 at 1:30 PM CST. If Auburn can run the table, it will capture its first SEC Tournament Championship since 2002.

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‘Iron Bowl of Soccer’ draws near-record crowd on Thursday

Over 1,800 fans were on hand to watch Auburn soccer battle Alabama on Thursday evening.

The Auburn soccer team continued its magical season with a hard fought draw against rival Alabama on the Plains this Thursday.

Karen Hoppa’s team may no longer be undefeated, but the Tigers’ (11-1-2) record has them ranked in the top 15 of most major polls as we approach the end of the regular season. With success sustaining, the Auburn family is beginning to flood Auburn Soccer Complex to show their support.

Thursday’s “Iron Bowl of Soccer” showdown vs. Alabama attracted 1,898 fans to the pitch. That attendance number was good enough for fourth on the all-time attendance list. It was also the third time Auburn soccer has drawn more than 1,000 fans to the turnstiles this season, as Thursday’s game outdrew the SEC opener against Vanderbilt (1,337) and the Tigers second most recent home game against Ole Miss (1,121) significantly.

Auburn was able to use the momentum of a packed house to earn a 1-1 draw after the Tigers fell behind 1-0 early in the second half. The team will hope to carry the momentum over as they enter a two-game road trip against Tennessee and Kentucky starting on Sunday.

The Auburn family will get a chance to set the all-time attendance record when The Tigers return to the Plains for their final home contest of the season against Georgia on October 24.

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Auburn soccer moves up to No. 4 in NCAA RPI following win over Florida

Head coach Karen Hoppa’s Tigers have shut out their opponent in all but one contest this season

The Auburn soccer squad returned to winning form last week, defeating the Florida Gators in a 1-0 shutout to capture their first win of the SEC season. The Tigers still have yet to suffer a defeat through 10 games of the campaign, as their only non-victory came in a 2-2 draw against Vanderbilt to open conference play.

Head coach Karen Hoppa’s Tigers have now shut out their opponent in all but one contest this season, leading to a ridiculous 0.20 goals allowed per game over 10 games. Despite the absurdly fantastic start to the season, the Tigers have yet to crack the top spot in any of the major polls this season.

Auburn did receive its highest ranking of the year in NCAA’s RPI after the first week of SEC play however. The Tigers check in at No. 4 on the list, trailing only No. 1 Michigan State (8-0-2), No. 2 North Carolina (10-1-0), and No. 3 Notre Dame (7-1-1). Auburn is the highest ranked SEC team by far, with the next closest in-conference rival checking in at number 12.

Unfortunately the Tigers won’t get a chance to prove their ranking against that No. 12 ranked team, Arkansas, until at least the SEC Tournament. Auburn’s next matchup does come against a top 60 RPI opponent however, as the Tigers travel to College Station to take on No. 58 ranked Texas A&M on Thursday.

A road win over the Aggies paired with a home win this weekend against Ole Miss should push the Tigers into the top 3 in NCAA’s RPI as well as most of the other major polls around the country. Kickoff for Thursday is currently scheduled for 7:00 PM CST.

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Auburn soccer heads into SEC play a perfect 8-0

The Tigers capped off the non-SEC season with a 2-0 win over Old Dominion on Friday

Much of the talk around Auburn is about new starting quarterback Hank Brown and the Tigers football team, but the squad playing fútbol has been the real story of the fall on the Plains. A top 6 squad across all the major polls, Auburn’s soccer team dominated every opponent in their path through the non-conference portion of the schedule.

The Tigers capped off the non-SEC season with a 2-0 win over Old Dominion on Friday, pitching their eight straight shutout in a row to begin the year. The eight consecutive games without allowing a goal puts the Tigers exactly half way to the all-time record, which is held by the 1998 Santa Clara Broncos who held opponents without a goal from September 24, 1988 to November 24, 1988.

Auburn’s offense hasn’t been too shabby either, as the Tigers have scored 30 goals this season, leading to a Division I best 30-0 goal differential through 8 games. The differential is the best by a fairly large margin as well, given Auburn is the only school in the country to rank in the top 5 in both goals scored and goals allowed.

While the competition hasn’t exactly been fierce, Auburn has captured wins over Clemson, No. 17 ranked Ohio State, and most recently, a very good Old Dominion team. With a superstar forward like Olivia Woodson, her 14 points this season are tied for 34th in the nation, Auburn commissions an extremely lethal scoring attack to go along with a brick-wall of a back line led by senior LJ Knox and goal keeper Maddie Prohaska.

The Tigers may not be able to keep a clean sheet forever, but the early season successes certainly bodes well for their chances of making a run at an SEC, and NCAA, championship to open up 2025. Head coach Karen Hoppa and the Tigers open up the SEC season by hosting Vanderbilt (5-0-2) on Thursday at 6:30 PM. The Commodores played Georgetown to a 0-0 tie in the only road game of their young season.

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Auburn forward Olivia Woodson takes home SEC Offensive Player of the Week

Auburn’s leading scorer this season, Woodson now has 6 goals in 7 games after her game-winner against Ohio State.

Auburn’s soccer team has continued to dominate opponents to start the fall, as the Tigers are now 7-0 to start the young season. While the Tigers dropped their first two preseason matches in early August, they’ve gone undefeated in the regular season, scoring 28 times while unfathomably not allowing a single ball to touch the back of their own net.

The historic start has not only led the Tigers to a consensus top 7 ranking among the polls, but also given plenty of starts All-Conference honors through the first month of the season. The latest Tiger to receive an award is forward Olivia Woodson, who scored the lone goal of Auburn’s most recent win over No. 17 Ohio State.

Woodson, who is only a sophomore, managed four shots in the win. Two of those shots were on goal, accounting for nearly half (5) of her teams total SOG in the game. The Richmond, VA native scored the game-winner in the 49th minute of action.

Auburn’s leading scorer this season, Woodson now has 6 goals in 7 games. She has managed multiple shots in all but two contests, while she has scored twice in two. Woodson’s 13 shots on goal also lead the Tigers, while her 13 points this season are good for fourth most in the entire SEC.

Woodson and the Tigers will look to keep the good times rolling when they host Old Dominion (5-2) on Alumni Night this Friday at 6:30 CST. Another win could vault the Tigers into the top 5 on most polls as they head into SEC play on September 19.

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Auburn defender LJ Knox wins SEC Defensive Player of the Week

Senior LJ Knox, received SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Tuesday after leading the Tigers to three shutout wins.

Auburn soccer is off to one of the best starts in recent history, as the Tigers have started the season undefeated against No. 5 ranked Clemson, Southern Mississippi, and Coastal Carolina.

The terrific start has been centered around the Auburn defense, which has yet to concede a goal over 270 minutes of action, leading to the Tigers holding a magnificent +13 goal differential through 3 contests.

The leader of that defensive brick wall, senior [autotag]LJ Knox[/autotag], received SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Tuesday after playing 250 of the 270 minutes during Auburn’s three-game win streak. A native of Brentwood, Tenn, Knox started all 20 games for the Tigers at the center back position last year. She led the team with 1,787 minutes played, competing in the full 90 minutes in all but one game.

While Knox hasn’t played the full 90 since the season opener against Clemson, her exits from the pitch in the last two games came at the end of the second half when the Tigers had all but secured the win in both matches. She could get back to playing the full 90 minutes as soon as Friday when Auburn goes on the road for the first time this season to face South Alabama at “The Cage.” Kickoff is scheduled for 7 PM CT.

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