Sept. 8, 2017
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AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Sophomore Bri Folds had one of the best nights of her young career to guide the Auburn soccer team to a 3-1 victory over High Point Friday night. The sophomore matched a career-high with four points by way of a goal and two assists.
"Bri was tremendous tonight," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "It was her best game so far this season and we're really pleased with that. As a playmaker, that is what we need her to do and she stepped up in a big way tonight."
Folds' four-point tally matched her total she produced in a fixture at Georgia last season.
"I played really hard for the team [tonight]," Folds said. "I thought this week we practiced well and we showed that in the game tonight."
Kristen Dodson and Courtney Schell also got on the scoresheet with their third goals of the season. Jaelyn Gadson and Silvana Poulter recorded their first career point by way of an assist each, while Taylor Troutman also contributed an assist.
As a team, the Tigers (3-3-1) outshot the Panthers (2-5-0) by a count of 21-6. Dodson led the way with a game-high 10 shots, including seven on target, while Folds racked up five attempts on frame.
High Point broke open the scoring in the 12th minute following a defensive miscue to make it 1-0 in favor of the visitors.
Folds secured the equalizer just 17 minutes later. The Lakeland, Fla. native took a pass from Gadson and Troutman and floated it over the goalkeeper at the back post for her second goal of 2017.
The match was knotted at 1-1 heading into the intermission, despite a 10-3 advantage in shots by Auburn.
The Tigers were relentless in the second half, tallying 11 shots and four corners in a half that was one-way traffic across the final 45 minutes.
Auburn put in the go-ahead goal at the 57th-minute mark when Schell headed a corner off the boot of Folds into the back of the net to put the home team ahead 2-1.
"Courtney is one of the best in the country at getting a ball in the air," Hoppa said. "The timing of the corner was perfect ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" it was a quality service and a quality header. It doesn't get any better than that."
Just over 10 minutes later, Dodson sealed the result. Folds passed the ball to Poulter inside the box and the freshman toe-poked it to Dodson for the cultured finish.
The Tigers held on in the closing moments to get back in the win column, 3-1.
Auburn returns to the pitch Sunday afternoon when it takes on Alabama State at 2 p.m. CT. The match is set to be broadcast on SEC Network+ and WEGL 91.1.