AUBURN, Ala. – No. 24 Auburn soccer (3-0-0) matched its highest goal total in 10 years en route to defeating UAB (0-2-0), 6-0, Friday night in front out a near-capacity crowd at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
The team's six goals matched a 6-0 win against Southern Miss in 2013 as the most goals in a match since a 9-0 win against Grambling State to start the 2008 season.
"We started out hot offensively with a goal a minute and a half in and three goals in the first 15 minutes," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "What a great offensive showing and a great way to start the game. That set the tone. I'm really pleased with our effort because we stayed with it and got to play a lot of people."
Six different Tigers scored in the match, including Treva Aycock, Silvana Poulter and Rocio Sanders, who each registered a goal and an assist. Aycock and Poulter were joined by Cami Rogers in scoring the first goals of their Auburn careers, while Angeline Daly and Jaelyn Gadson notched their second scores of the season.
"The balance is huge," Sanders said. "That means that we can rely on each other and not just one person to score the goals."
Auburn struck early and often in the match with its three first-half goals coming in the first 15:42 of action.
Sanders sparked the first attack as she dispossessed UAB in the midfield and played a nice through ball to Bri Folds up the right side. The junior midfielder then played it to Aycock in the box, who took care of the finish with a one-timer past the goalkeeper.
A little more than 13 minutes later and less than a minute apart, Gadson and Daly each came through with their second goals of the season and tripled the Auburn lead. Gadson scored in the second straight match as she finished a feed from Poulter from just outside the six-yard box. Fifty-seven seconds later, Daly fired from outside the 18-yard box and hit a left-footed strike to the far post and into the net.
"It was a great team effort tonight," Aycock said. "We had six different people score tonight and was just great all-around."
The Tigers took the 3-0 lead into intermission, but it again didn't take long to extend the advantage and Sanders delivered her first goal of the season less than three minutes into the half. Folds found Sanders in space at the top of the box, and the Cocoa Beach, Florida, native finished to tally a career-high three points in the contest.
Poulter got in on the action in the 68th minute and she took possession from UAB in the midfield and did the rest herself. The sophomore midfielder dribbled past the defense down the left side of the field and beat the Blazer goalkeeper nearside for her first career goal.
Rogers followed suit and put the finishing touches on the blowout win with her first career goal in the 82nd minute. After having her initial shot deflected by the goalkeeper, the Prattville, Alabama native stayed with the rebound and finished with the right foot.
In goal, Sarah Le Beau combined with both Morgan Ramby and Sophie Milich for the shutout as the defensive unit held UAB to just six shots and one on frame.
"It was a great crowd," Hoppa said. "We loved the guys painted up and playing the drums. It was a terrific atmosphere for our girls tonight and I think that certainly helped keep our team motivated as the game went on."
Auburn returns to action at the Auburn Soccer Complex and plays host to Louisiana Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. The match will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Offensive Explosion Leads No. 24 Auburn Soccer Past UAB
