Sept. 14, 2014
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AUBURN, Ala. - After a defensive battle through the first half of play that saw no score and minimal shots, No. 18 Auburn pulled out a 2-0 victory over Milwaukee Sunday afternoon, getting the benefit of an own goal by the Panthers and then a put-away goal by freshman Ellie Leek in the waning minutes.
The Tigers (6-2-0) were held to only one shot in the first half, but eventually took the game away from the Panthers (2-6-0) as they notched 12 shots in the second frame.
Redshirt sophomore Alyse Scott recorded her sixth win of the year in goal, tallying three saves through all 90 minutes of play. For Leek, her goal was her third of the year off a nice counterattack with an assist from fellow freshman Kristen Dodson.
"I thought in the first half we were really sluggish," Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. "I felt we got outplayed. I felt the girls really responded well at halftime. We had a lot of pressure and created a lot of opportunities in the second half."
The Tigers first goal of the afternoon wasn't really from an Auburn player as it came only two minutes into the second half. As a ball crossed by Samantha Solaru on the near side from 24 yards out and intended for Dodson, it was deflected off of the head of a Panther defender into the back of the net, giving Auburn some relief.
Auburn continued to keep the pressure high on Milwaukee, wanting to get the important second goal and put the game away. A couple of opportunities for Auburn midway through the second half, looked like the Tigers were going to double or even triple the deficit, but a pair of offsides calls called back two goals for the Orange and Blue.
The Tigers finally got the look they needed as Leek doubled the Tigers advantage with just three minutes left in the match. After an interception at midfield, Leek placed a perfect ball over the defense where a streaking Dodson stayed onside and gathered herself.
A few quick moves to beat the final defender and the keeper, Dodson sent the extra pass to Leek following up behind, who finished into the wide open net.
"It was really a great play overall," Hoppa said. "It was a perfect counter. We got the ball to Kristen and she passed it to a wide open Ellie who knocked it into the net. It was a great counter to end the game."
Auburn completes the non-conference portion of its schedule at 6-2-0 and will venture into Southeastern Conference play next weekend when the South Carolina Gamecocks come to The Plains on Sunday, Sept. 21 for a noon kick. The game will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.
For more information on Auburn soccer, visit AuburnTigers.com, follow the team on Twitter, @AuburnSoccer or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuburnSoccer.