Oct. 21, 2017
Auburn vs. LSU
(7-4-4, 4-1-3 SEC) vs. (8-6-2, 1-5-2 SEC)
Match
| Sunday, Oct. 22 | 5 p.m. | |
| Auburn vs. LSU | ||
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The Auburn soccer team (7-4-4, 4-1-3 SEC) hosts LSU (8-6-2, 1-5-2 SEC) in its final home contest of the regular season Sunday evening. Kickoff at the Auburn Soccer Complex is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT.
The match will be aired live on ESPNU, and Jonathan Yardley and Cat Whitehill will have the call from the broadcast booth. The fixture will also be available on radio at WEGL 91.1, and admission to the Auburn Soccer Complex is free.
Prior to the match, Auburn's six seniors ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Hannah Alspach, Caroline Bado, Kristen Dodson, Katie Grunder, Ellie Leek and Courtney Schell ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" will be recognized during the Senior Day ceremony.
Promotions
Senior Night
Ghosts 'n Goals Night ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Costume Contest and Trick-or-Treating
Postgame Fireworks Show
Vuvezela Giveaway
Bag Tag Giveaway
Schedule Magnet Giveaway
Shaker Giveaway
Poster Giveaway
Starting XI
Auburn holds a 17-8-1 record in the all-time series with LSU and has defeated its Tiger counterparts in seven straight contests. The Tigers are also 9-1-0 against LSU at home.
Auburn punched its ticket to the SEC Tournament for the 16th straight season under head coach Karen Hoppa with a 2-2 draw at Ole Miss Thursday. The Tigers are sixth in the conference standings with two matches to play and continue to jockey for tournament seeding.
Senior forward Kristen Dodson and freshman defender Alyssa Malonson were named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week and SEC Freshman of the Week, respectively, Monday. Dodson went on to be named the National Player of the Week by TopDrawerSoccer.com, becoming the first player in program history to earn the distinction twice.
Dodson continues to climb a number of career records including goals (29), assists (27), points (85), and game-winning goals (10). Five of her team-high eight goals this season have come in the Tigers' last six matches.
Auburn went 9-2-0 in SEC play a season ago and finished second in the league. The Tigers are 20-7-4 against conference foes over the last three seasons. That mark includes a 12-3-0 record at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
After checking in at No. 32 in the RPI a week ago, the Tigers jumped 14 spots to No. 18 with wins at Alabama and against then-No. 10 Florida last week.
The Auburn defense ranks tied for third in the league with four shutouts during conference play. The D-Team allowed just one goal in its first four SEC games, marking the first time since 2004 and second time in program history the Tigers had accomplished the feat.
Auburn is 103-76-23 all-time in October. The Tigers have netted 352 goals (1.74 per match) and allowed 270 (1.34 per match). Over that span, Auburn has secured 73 shutouts, including 58 under Hoppa.
Scouting LSU
LSU went 7-0 in the non-conference and outscored its opponents 17-1.
Coming off a 1-0 loss vs. No. 14 Texas A&M, LSU is 1-5-2 in SEC play with a conference win against Georgia.
The Tigers are currently 13th in the SEC standings and two points outside of the top 10 and a trip to Orange Beach.
Junior forward Alex Thomas leads the team with eight goals and 18 points. She ranks tied for fourth and tied for seventh in the conference, respectively, in the categories.
Player(s) to Watch: Auburn Seniors
Auburn's six seniors - Alspach, Bado, Dodson, Grunder, Leek and Schell - will be recognized during Senior Day festivities prior to the match Sunday. The senior class has been responsible for some of the best seasons in program history. They've not only gone to the NCAA Tournament three straight seasons, but have also advanced further each year, which inlcuded the first NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal appearance in program history a season ago.
Up Next
The Tigers cap off the regular season with a match at Vanderbilt (10-5-1, 5-2-1 SEC) Thursday at 8 p.m. CT. The SEC Tournament then begins Sunday, Oct. 29 in Orange Beach, Ala.