ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – No. 9 seed Auburn (12-5-1, 4-5-1 SEC) makes its 18th straight appearance in the SEC Tournament and opens postseason play against No. 8 seed Florida (6-9-3, 4-4-2 SEC) Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.
The entirety of the SEC Tournament will be broadcast on SEC Network. Mike Watts, Heather Mitts and Jill Loyden will have the call Sunday.
For more information on the SEC Tournament, click here.
Starting XI
This week in Orange Beach marks Auburn's 18th straight appearance in the SEC Tournament, good for the second-longest streak in the conference behind Florida (24th).
The Tigers are 17-20 all-time in the SEC Tournament, including three wins and a loss via penalty kicks, and won the SEC Tournament in 2011.
Sunday marks the 28th all-time meeting between Auburn and Florida, with the Gators holding a 17-9-1 advantage in the series. The contest also marks the ninth between the two teams in the SEC Tournament with Florida holding a 5-2-1 record.
Auburn has won three of the last four meetings against the Gators dating back to the beginning of the 2016 season. The wins include a pair in the regular season and one in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2016.
Auburn has turned in nine shutouts this season, tied for the fourth most in a single-season in program history. Another shutout would mark just the second time since 2008 the team has turned in double-digit shutouts in a season (2014).
Goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau is the NCAA active career leader in goalkeeper minutes played and has made 85 consecutive starts in goal, recently setting the SEC record for consecutive starts by a goalkeeper. She is also approaching the SEC record for starts by a goalkeeper, which currently stands at 87.
Bri Folds leads the Tigers in goals (9), points (25) and game-winning goals (6) while ranking second on the team in assists (7). Her six game-winners tie the Auburn single-season record and are tied for the conference lead. She is the lone player in the SEC to rank in the top five in all four categories.
Auburn has posted a 53-25-7 (.681) overall record and 24-13-5 (.631) record in SEC play since the start of the 2015 season. The team ranks fourth in the SEC in both categories during that time - trailing South Carolina, Florida and Texas A&M.
Scouting Florida
Florida finished eighth in the SEC after posting a 6-9-3 overall record and going 4-4-2 in conference play.
The Gators earned a result in three of the last four matches and capped off the season with a 3-0 win against Arkansas.
Lais Araujo leads the Florida attack with five goals and 13 points. She is joined by double-digit point getter Madison Alexander (four goals, two assists).
Player to Watch: Sarah Le Beau
Le Beau is 4-2-0 all-time against Florida. She has shut the high-powered Gators out on two occasions and hasn't allowed more than one goal against Florida in the last four meetings. Sunday will also mark her 86th career start in goal, moving her to within one of matching the SEC record.
Auburn Set to Take on Florida in SEC Tournament Opener
