Oct. 30, 2017
Auburn vs. Florida
(7-5-5, 4-2-4 SEC - No. 6 seed) vs. (13-5-0, 7-3-9 SEC - No. 3 seed)
Match
| Tuesday, Oct. 31 | 2:30 p.m. | --> |
| Auburn vs. Florida | ||
ORANGE BEACH, Ala. -- Making its 22nd appearance in the postseason and 17th straight, the Auburn soccer team (7-5-5, 4-2-4 SEC) opens the SEC Tournament with a quarterfinal matchup against Florida (13-5-0, 7-3-0 SEC) Tuesday afternoon. Kickoff at the Orange Beach Sportsplex is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT.
The match will be aired live on SEC Network, and Mike Watts and Jill Loyden will have the call from the broadcast booth.
Auburn enters the SEC Tournament as the No. 6 seed after going 4-2-4 in conference play and earned a first-round bye. It marks the seventh time the Tigers have entered the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed, which includes championship match appearances in 2001, 2005 and 2012.
Starting XI
Florida holds a 16-9-1 advantage in the all-time series, but Auburn has won three straight contests and four of the last five against the Gators.
The teams have met seven times during the SEC Tournament with Florida emerging victorious on four occasions - Auburn advanced on penalty kicks in 1995.
The SEC Tournament appearance marks Auburn's 22nd in program history and 17th straight under head coach Karen Hoppa. The Tigers are 17-19 all-time and were crowned SEC Tournament Champions in 2011.
Auburn is 11-10 in its first match of the SEC Tournament in program history and 6-2 since 2009 in its opening fixture of the postseason.
The Tigers had three player earn SEC All-Conference honors, marking the fourth straight season with three or more honorees. Senior forward Kristen Dodson and senior defender Caroline Bado were named First Team All-SEC while Alyssa Malonson made the All-Freshman Team.
The Auburn defense finished the regular season tied for second in the league with five shutouts during conference play - matching a program record. The Tigers also ranked fourth in goals against average (0.83) and tied for fourth in goals allowed (nine).
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 came during conference play.
Auburn went 9-2-0 in SEC play a season ago and finished second in the league. The Tigers are 20-7-5 against conference foes over the last three regular seasons.
Auburn is 103-77-24 all-time in October. The Tigers have netted 353 goals (1.73 per match) and allowed 272 (1.33 per match). Over that span, Auburn has secured 74 shutouts, including 59 under Hoppa.
With the NCAA Selection Show scheduled for Nov. 6, Auburn is looking to make its fourth straight and 15th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament under Hoppa.
Scouting Florida
Florida finished the regular season with a 7-3-0 record in conference play and earned the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament.
The Gators have won each of the last two and three of the last five SEC Tournaments held in Orange Beach, Ala.
SEC Freshman of the Year Deanne Rose led the team with eight goals and 19 points this season. Gabby Seiler and Parker Roberts joined Rose as First Team All-SEC honorees.
Player to Watch: Kristen Dodson
Dodson will cap off one of the best careers in program history as she enters her stretch run as a member of the Auburn soccer program. A year after breaking the single-season scoring record (38 points), she again leads the team in goals (eight) and points (19) while also ranking tied for fourth in the SEC in goals and tied for sixth in points. In a regular season matchup with the Gators earlier this year, Dodson scored the lone goal of the match, marking her 10th career game-winning goal.
Up Next
The winner of Tuesday's match will advance to take on the winner of Texas A&M and Missouri in the SEC Semifinals Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. CT.