Oct. 9, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. - For the third time this season, Auburn played even with the competition for 90 minutes but couldn't hold off a late surge by an opponent as Auburn fell, 1-0, in overtime at No. 7 South Carolina on Friday night. The loss dropped Auburn's record to 5-5-3, 2-3-0 SEC while South Carolina remains undefeated at 12-0-1, 4-0-1 SEC.
"We lost another heartbreaker. We played well; we solved the game and defended it great. We had gotten in some, but on the road against the No. 7 team you are not going to get the majority of the chances, but we got enough," Auburn Head Coach Karen Hoppa said. "Unfortunately (Samantha Diaz-Matosas) hit a great shot and it ended the game."
Diaz-Matosas ended the match in the 98th minute when she netted an unassisted goal from 20 yards out, shooting it over the defense and to the far post for her third goal of the season.
A great save by Amy Howard had kept the game tied at 0-0 just over two minutes after halftime. Brook Jacobs took a Kayla Grimsley pass inside the six and one-touched the shot, forcing Howard into a diving deflection. Jenni Prescott was able to send the loose ball out past the post for a South Carolina corner but also ending the South Carolina scoring chance.
Later on in the period, Chelsea Yauch found herself on the doorstep of snapping the scoreless tie in the 73rd minute but a solid defensive play by South Carolina stopped Yauch's progress and gave Auburn a corner. Mary Coffed sent a through ball into the six which South Carolina goalkeeper Mollie Patton came off her line to stop but was unable to, allowing Yauch to have half of the goal in front of her but with a defender on her hip, she was unable to pull the trigger on a shot as she and the defender went sliding down, knocking the ball over the end line.
Mary Coffed's shot in the 83rd minute from 20 yards out was deflected out by the South Carolina defense and then Caitlin King had a chance to put Auburn up a goal in the 87th minute, taking a perfect feed from Rebecca Howell into the South Carolina 18 but her shot from a sharp angle was stopped by Patton.
Auburn managed two first-half shots with Yauch and Katy Frierson each registering one. Yauch's came from 30 yards out and went wide while Frierson's was off of a 25-yard free kick, which Patton easy put the wraps on.
Auburn finished the match with seven shots, three on frame.
South Carolina took 17 shots in the match, forcing Howard, the SEC saves leader coming in, into seven saves, upping her total to 77 on the year. The defensive backline was also forced to clear out multiple South Carolina crosses, voiding South Carolina scoring chances.
Auburn is 0-3-3 in overtime matches this season.
Auburn remains on the road for its next match, traveling to Gainesville, Fla., for a 1pm ET match with the No. 14 Gators. The match will air live on Sun Sports.