AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn soccer earned a No. 4 seed and its 17th NCAA Tournament selection Monday afternoon. Tigers will host Samford in the first round Friday at 5 p.m. CT at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
"Ever since (last year's) selection show this team has been on a mission," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "I'm so proud to see our name come up with a number by it, meaning we're one of the top 16 seeds. I'm really proud of this team and what they've accomplished during the regular season."
Auburn enters the tournament with a 12-6-1 overall record and went 5-4-1 in SEC play. The Tigers are coming off the team's first appearance in the SEC Tournament semifinal since 2016 and are one of seven conference teams to qualify for the big dance.
"Our norm is being in the NCAA (Tournament), and these past couple of years we haven't really been achieving our goals," Hailey Whitaker added. "We made it a goal at the beginning of this season that this is what we wanted to achieve, so it's really exciting to be seeded that high this year."
Auburn is 13-6-0 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 6-3-0 in tournament contests at home.
"Obviously, we were a little disappointed last year with not being drawn," Hannah Waesch said. "It's going to be a really great adventure for this team to keep on growing. It's going to be a wild ride."
Samford has posted a 15-3-2 overall record and went 9-0-0 in Southern Conference play en route to also winning the tournament championship. The Bulldogs are making the sixth tournament appearance in program history, including its second in the last three seasons.
"They're a pretty physical team," SEC Defender of the Year Alyssa Malonson said of Samford. "They're probably going to come out with everything they have. I wouldn't expect anything less. I'm excited."
Friday's match will mark the 17th all-time meeting between the familiar foes, including the first in the NCAA Tournament.
Tickets are on sale through the Auburn Ticket Office and may be purchased online by clicking here or by calling the ticket office at (855) 282-2010 (Option 1).
Prices are $8 for the general public, and children 12 and under as well as Auburn students who show their Tiger Card will receive free admission.
Fans who have purchased tickets may pick up their wristbands at will call, which opens at the Auburn Soccer Complex one hour prior to kickoff. The ticket office will send an email with specific information to all ticket holders later this week.
Auburn soccer earns top-16 seed, set to host Samford in NCAA Tournament Friday
