Sept. 11, 2015
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COLUMBIA, Mo. - The 9th-ranked Auburn women's soccer team saw its six-match winning streak come to an end Friday night as it dropped its SEC opener at Missouri, 2-1.
Even with the loss, Auburn's 6-1-0 start is still one of the best starts in school history, matching the 2002 team that started 6-0-0 on the way to a 15 victory season.
Missouri broke Auburn's shutout streak of 500-plus minutes midway through the first half and then extended the lead to 2-0 in the 60th minute. Auburn got it back within one four minutes later after a penalty kick from Brooke Ramsier, but the attack stalled in the final 20 minutes of play.
Missouri snapped the shutout streak at 567 minutes with a goal from Savannah Trujillo in the 17th minute after an Auburn defensive breakdown. Trujillo was able to get behind the AU backline after a cross came in from Jessica Johnson and one-time it past Le Beau, giving Missouri the 1-0 lead.
As the cross came in, it seemed to deflect off Auburn's Hannah Alspach, which gave Trujillo just the amount of space and then beat Le Beau to her right.
Nonetheless, Auburn's shutout streak ranks right up at the top in the program's all-time shutout streaks, second behind the record of 687 minutes back in the 2003 season.
Missouri extended its lead to 2-0 in the 66th minute after Rachel Hignett finished home a cross off the left end-line by Macee Blanchard. Blanchard forced the ball down the left flank and crossed it into the middle of the box just in front the Auburn line, but went untouched through the air before Hignett finished with the right foot.
Auburn caught a break just seconds later as Missouri was called for a foul in the middle of the box and allowed Auburn to take a penalty kick. The Orange and Blue with two penalty kicks already this year called upon Brooke Ramsier to take her second of the season. She beat the keeper on the right side for her third goal of the season, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Unfortunately, that was the final goal Auburn could muster for the remaining 23 minutes as Auburn was kept to just six shots in the second half.
Overall, Missouri controlled the offensive side of the ball, winning the shot advantage 26-12 and forcing Auburn keeper Sarah Le Beau to make eight saves. The eight saves is a season-high for the redshirt freshman, but allowed her first two goals of the season.
Auburn did get a few good opportunities at the goal including one just minutes after Missouri's first goal as Brooke Ramsier found her sister Casie barely 10 yards out. Casie turned and fired a one-timer that had the keeper beat to her right, but the ball bounced off the left post and stayed in play.
Casie Ramsier finished the night with four shots, none on target, while Ellie Leek pitched in three of Auburn's 12 shots.
Auburn returns home on Sunday to step out of conference play briefly and host South Alabama at the AU Soccer Complex. First kick is slated for 6 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network+ via the Watch ESPN app or WatchESPN.com.
For more information on Auburn soccer, visit AuburnTigers.com, follow the team on Twitter, @AuburnSoccer or follow them on Facebook at Facebook.com/AuburnSoccer.
| Match 8: vs. South Alabama | |
| Friday, Sept. 11 | 6 p.m. - #9 Auburn vs. South Alabama | | SEC Network+ |
| Locations | Auburn, Ala. | AU Soccer Complex (1,500) |
| Tickets | Free Admission |
| Additional Info | Auburn Notes  | South Alabama Notes | SEC Notes |
| Online | Twitter: @AuburnSoccer | WEGL 91.1 FM (AuburnTigers.com) | SEC Network+ |