AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn (12-5-2, 4-5-1 SEC) opens its fifth straight and 16th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament against Minnesota (11-8-2, 5-5-1 BIG) Friday at 3 p.m. CT at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
Brit Bowen and Mac Matthews will have the call from the broadcast booth on SEC Network+. The contest will also be available on radio at WEGL 91.1.
Tickets are now on sale through the Auburn Ticket Office and can be purchased online, by calling 334-844-4040 or at the gate one hour prior to kickoff.
Prices are $8 for the general public, and $3 for seniors ages 65 and up. Children 12 & under and all Auburn students who show their Auburn Ignited card will receive free admission.
Starting XI
All 16 NCAA Tournament appearances have come under Coach Hoppa since 2001.
The Tigers are 13-15 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 9-6 in the big dance since 2011. The team has advanced to the second round in each of its six appearances since 2011, including a record four straight seasons.
Auburn is 6-2 all-time in NCAA Tournament contests on The Plains, including 4-0 in its last four home tournament contests. This postseason marks the team's seventh year overall and fourth straight season hosting a first-round match.
The Tigers are 8-2-0 at the Auburn Soccer Complex this season and have outscored opponents 30-10 in home contests.
Friday marks the third all-time meeting between Auburn and Minnesota and first since 2014. The series is tied, 1-1-0, with Minnesota winning a home contest in 1996 and Auburn taking a neutral-site match in 2014.
A trio of Tigers earned SEC All-Conference honors, marking the fifth straight season with three or more recipients. Bri Folds was named First Team All-SEC, marking the fourth consecutive year with a first-team honoree, while Treva Aycock and Alyssa Malonson earned Second Team All-SEC honors.
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).
Friday will likely mark the final home game in the careers of seniors Ashton Brock, Sarah Le Beau, Gianna Montini and Taylor Troutman. The quartet has helped lead the program to 53 wins, tied for the second most wins in a four-year span in program history, and a win would tie last year's class for the most NCAA Tournament wins (seven) by a class in program history.
Scouting Minnesota
Minnesota enters the NCAA Tournament with an 11-8-2 overall record and 5-5-1 mark in conference play and recently won the Big Ten Tournament.
As the No. 7 seed in their conference tournament, the Gophers defeated Rutgers and Nebraska before downing Penn State in penalty kick to claim the championship.
Minnesota's attack is led by April Bockin, who was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year after leading the conference in goals (13) and points (31).
On the defensive side, the Golden Gophers haven't surrendered a goal in 312 minutes.
Player to Watch: Sarah Houchin
Houchin has been an unsung hero on the Tigers back line since the beginning of last season. She has not only played and started in all 39 contests of her Auburn career thus far, but has also been a key contributor to 17 shutouts during the last two seasons.
Auburn Opens NCAA Tournament vs. Minnesota
