Sept. 5, 2010
AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn soccer team ran its winning streak to three straight with a 3-0 shutout of Western Carolina on Sunday afternoon at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Katy Frierson and Mary Coffed each continued their torrid starts to the season as Frierson scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season and Coffed picked up her team-leading fifth assist.
Auburn, which improved to 4-1-0 after picking up wins over No. 5 Florida State on Friday and Western Carolina on Sunday afternoon to complete a perfect weekend at home, was in control of Sunday's game from start to finish, firing off 19 first-half shots en route to putting 33 on the board.
"This is a good way to finish off a weekend," Auburn Head Coach Karen Hoppa said. "There is always concern coming off an emotional victory on Friday night of having a letdown but the girls did a great job of not allowing that to happen today. Getting three goals in the first half was huge for us."
Ashley Marks scored her second goal of the season and what proved to be the first game-winner by someone other than Frierson this season in the match's 18th minute when she headed in a Coffed cross.
"We came out with a strong attack and our focus was to score a lot of goals today," Marks said. "We did a really good job of getting wide and going down the end line. Mary Coffed used her speed, got down the end line and just crossed me a great ball that I was able to get my head on."
Auburn wasted little time putting even more distance between the two teams on the scoreboard as three minutes later Frierson finished off a Gabi Rivera cross, giving Auburn a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute and giving Frierson a goal in all four of Auburn's wins this season.
Freshman Ashley Kotero scored the final goal of the match in the 44th minute of play when she one-touched a Heather Havron free kick past Western Carolina goalkeeper Caitlin Williams right inside the post.
The few times that Western Carolina (2-2-0) did find itself in Auburn's defensive third, the Auburn backline quickly snuffed out any scoring opportunity for the Catamounts. Amy Howard did make three saves in the match for Auburn but it was the clearing and pressure by the backs that held Western Carolina to just four shots and two corners, all of which came in the second half when Auburn was firmly in control.
"Our goal is always to allow the least amount of shots. We never want Howie (Amy Howard) to have to make her superstar saves so we always apply a lot of pressure," Havron said.
Auburn returns to action on Friday, Sept. 10 when it faces Southern California in Los Angeles at 5:30pm CT.