AUBURN, Ala. – No. 14 Auburn soccer (4-0-3) will conclude its nonconference season with a matchup on the road against RV Samford (3-2-2) Sunday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. CT.
The Tigers hold an 11-3-2 advantage all-time over the Bulldogs, and a 5-1-1 record when playing in Birmingham, but will look to exact some revenge on Samford after having their season ended by the Bulldogs a year ago in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"Obviously, we are very familiar with Samford," Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We play them year in and year out. They are a legitimate top-25 team, and I believe they only lost one player from a season ago. If we want to build on what success we've had, we've got to keep growing offensively, keep developing that chemistry and keep working on our finishing. Our goal is to be better today than we were yesterday."
All season long, it has been the Tiger defense that has silently lit up the stat line, allowing just one goal in the run of play through the first 630 minutes of the year. With a 0.286 goals-against average, Auburn ranks first in the Southeastern Conference and second in the NCAA among teams who have played at least seven games already.
Junior goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska has held down the net for the majority of opposing chances, matching a pair of goals conceded with five clean sheets and 19 saves. Last time out, redshirt sophomore Makenna Garcia made her career debut at keeper, closing out the game against UMass Lowell and picking up a save.
Starting every match on the back line, M.E. Craven, Hailey Whitaker, Madeline Moore and Hayden Colson have also been crucial in the Tigers' defensive prowess.
On the offensive end of the ball, Auburn's attackers have spread the load evenly as Anna Haddock, Maddie Simpson, Sydnie Thibodaux and Sabrina McNeill all share the team lead with two goals apiece. Haddock, however, carries the flag in assists (4), points (8), total shots (21) and shots on-goal (11).
The Tigers' game versus the Bulldogs will be available for streaming on ESPN+. For live game updates, follow @AuburnSoccer on Twitter.
Following the matchup at Samford, Auburn will kickstart SEC play with a game at Missouri Friday, Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. CT.