AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn soccer opened the 2023 season with a 0-0 draw Thursday versus Samford at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
"I thought that was a really good performance out of our team," Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. "Samford is a great team. I thought we lost a little momentum in the second half, but overall, we're really happy to have that as a starting point out of our group.
"Coming into this season, everybody would've said our biggest question was defense, but they've stepped up in a big way," Hoppa said. "I'm really pleased with how well that whole back line has played so far."
The overpowering Tiger defense picked up where it left off last year as the back line asserted its dominance over the Samford attack, holding it shotless for the first 55 minutes of the match. The Bulldogs were able to muster up just three shots, none of which came on-frame, marking the first time the Tigers have allowed fewer than five shots in a single match since drawing West Virginia 0-0 on Sept. 1, 2022.
The shutout effort was spearheaded by starting defenders Hayden Colson, LJ Knox, Mallory Mooney and Madeline Moore.
"Samford is an amazing team, so it's fun to compete with them," Knox said. "This is the first time this whole back line has played together, so it's really fun to finally get out there and hold a team like that to zero goals and just a handful of shots."
Another large factor in the shutout was Tigers goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska as she moved the defensive pieces around masterfully, thus did not need to make a single save on the evening.
With the shutout, Prohaska picks up the 22nd clean sheet of her collegiate career, locking herself into a three-way tie with Amy Howard (2009-12) and Sarah LeBeau (2014-18) for third all-time in school history.
Offensively, the Tigers created 14 chances and stuck five on frame. They also forced five corner kicks to outmatch Samford's two. Senior Olivia Candelino, senior Anna Haddock and fifth year Sydney Richards all forced action out of the Bulldogs keeper with one on-goal shot apiece. Freshman Olivia Woodson led the stat line with two.
It was Woodson, in her collegiate debut, with the prime chance of the match. Senior Maddie Simpson won the ball at midfield and spun a pair of Bulldog defenders with a cutback pass to Richards, who then played a through ball up the left side to Woodson who outran the Samford back line to find herself one-on-one with opposing keeper Zoe Clevely. Woodson fired off a pair of shots, but both were stuffed by Clevely.
Next up, Auburn hosts another in-state foe, Troy, Sunday, Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. CT. The first 250 fans to arrive at the match will receive a free silicone Auburn soccer cup.