AUBURN, Ala. — It’s a double-dose of tough Southeastern Conference competition this week for Auburn soccer as the No. 14 Tigers host Alabama in the Iron Bowl of Soccer on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. CT before heading to Knoxville, Tennessee for a face off against the Lady Vols on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. CT.
“Wow, what a challenging week with two quality opponents on our schedule,” Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. “We start with a classic rivalry match where records and rankings mean nothing. It’s always a tough, physical match with a very small margin for error. Then, we have to head to Tennessee, and they are always going to put up a fight no matter where or when you play them. This week is going to certainly test us, and I look forward to seeing how our team responds.”
Auburn (11-1-1, 3-1-1) enters the week fresh off a dominant 4-0 win last Friday at LSU. Four different Tigers found the back of the net to extend Auburn’s undefeated streak against the Bayou Bengals to 16 consecutive matches. The Orange & Blue defense held strong and limited the LSU attack to just one shot on target and zero goals scored, marking the first time all season LSU was blanked at home.
Alabama (7-3-4, 0-1-4) visits The Plains hungry for its first win in league play after dropping a 2-0 decision to Kentucky last week. The Crimson Tide opened the SEC season with four straight draws, matching No. 22 Texas 2-2, Tennessee 2-2, Missouri 1-1 and Georgia 2-2.
Offense has been the strength of Wes Hart’s squad as the Tide ranks top five in the conference this season in goals scored (33), assists (28), corner kicks (90) and shots per game (18.36).
Junior forward Gianna Paul leads the league with nine goals scored this season. A 2023 All-SEC First Team member, Paul owns 25 career goals and seven assists through her three seasons at Alabama.
Auburn leads the all-time series with the Tide 19-12-2 but has not lifted the Rivalry Trophy since a 3-2 victory in 2019. History indicates another tight match this week as 14 of the last 15 meetings have been decided by one goal.
Opposite to Alabama, Auburn’s Sunday opponent, Tennessee, relies on the strength of its defense to win games. The Lady Vols (7-1-3, 2-0-2) have conceded just five goals this year and rank top-15 in the country for goals-against average (0.46) and save percentage (0.872).
Junior goalkeeper Ally Zazzara leads Tennessee’s defensive efforts with six shutouts and 32 saves.
Joe Kirt’s side dropped its first match of the season, a 1-0 loss at Indiana, and have since responded with a 10-match undefeated run, including a 0-0 draw versus No. 9 UCLA and a 1-0 upset over No. 5 Memphis. In conference play, the Lady Vols earned six points with a 2-1 win over Ole Miss and a 1-0 result against Missouri. They found two more points from a 2-2 draw at Alabama and a 1-1 draw with Vanderbilt.
It's been a back-and-forth series between Auburn and Tennessee with the latter having a slight 13-11-4 advantage all-time. Both teams last met in the first round of the 2023 SEC Tournament, where the Tigers earned a 2-1 victory.
Before getting to the Tigers, Tennessee will have to get through a tough match on the road at No. 6 Arkansas this Thursday.
Auburn’s Thursday match will air live on the SEC Network with Marion Crowder and Alex Perlman on the call. As always, matches at the Auburn Soccer Complex are free and open to the public. Fans in attendance will receive Socctoberfest color-changing beverage steins while supplies last.
For Sunday’s clash in Knoxville, ESPNU will carry the broadcast. Jill Loyden and Mike Watts have the call.