LEXINGTON, Ky. — For the 12th time in 16 matches, Auburn soccer is walking away from a match with a clean sheet as the No. 11 Tigers battled Kentucky to a 0-0 tie Friday night at the Bell Soccer Complex.
Auburn’s 12 shutouts match the program’s single-season record, originally set in 2003.
“I’m pleased with how we improved from first to second half,” Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. “We generated many more opportunities, played better soccer and gave up fewer chances. Love that we got a shutout on the road. That’s a staple to our success. Credit to all of our players for working hard to keep that intact tonight.”
It was a slow start to the match for the Tigers (12-1-3, 4-1-3) as they were outshot 4-1 in the opening 45. Kentucky (10-2-4, 2-2-4) laced a pair of shots on frame, but two key saves from senior Maddie Prohaska, including a high-IQ kick save on a breakaway in the 21st minute, denied any chance of a Wildcats lead.
“I feel like this game gave us a good test all around the field,” Prohaska said. “It showed us that we can’t take any game lightly. Every team is going to give us our best. It’s good to earn a point here from a shutout, but we know we can be better moving forward and will need to be better if we want to peak in the postseason.”
It was the 36th shutout in the career of Prohaska, the second most by any goalkeeper in Southeastern Conference history.
Auburn came out much stronger in the second half, pouring on eight shots, including one on-target chance from sophomore Olivia Woodson. The Orange & Blue backline denied the Wildcats of a shot on goal in the final half.
“In the first half we struggled with our communication and tracking their attacking players’ movements, but as the game progressed, we really grew into it and got a lot stronger,” defensive midfielder Hayden Colson said. “We figured out what they were trying to do and we we were able to communicate that across the field and it worked out well for us. A lot of our offensive chances were generated from good defense in that second half.”
It was just the second time Kentucky had been blanked at home this season.
Up next, Auburn returns to The Plains to host Georgia in its final home match of the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 24. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on the SEC Network+.