LET’S DANCE: Auburn hosts FIU in first round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

by Tucker Cleverdon
LET’S DANCE: Auburn hosts FIU in first round of 2024 NCAA TournamentLET’S DANCE: Auburn hosts FIU in first round of 2024 NCAA Tournament

AUBURN, Ala. — A fantastic season for Auburn soccer continues as the Tigers are set to host the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at home, welcoming Florida International for a 6 p.m. CT matchup on Friday, Nov. 15 at the Auburn Soccer Complex.

“Such a great excitement to see our name back in the postseason,” Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. “It’s a blessing and a testament to our hard work that we’re able to give our seniors another home game. They’ve worked so hard their entire careers for this moment. We’re stoked to be able to play Friday under the lights in front of the Auburn family.”

Friday’s matchup will be the first meeting between the programs in history.

 It is the program’s 18th NCAA Tournament berth and first since the 2021 season. The Tigers are 13-17-0 all-time in the tournament. Auburn’s best run came in 2016, when it clinched the program’s first Elite Eight appearance with wins over South Alabama (4-0), No. 13 UConn (4-1) and No. 9 Florida (3-1). The Tigers were knocked off in the national quarterfinals by eventual champion, No. 3 USC, in a narrow 1-0 contest.

This season, Auburn boasts a 12-3-4 record with 49 goals scored and 12 shutouts. The Tigers’ attack is led by sophomore Olivia Woodson, who has banked 10 goals this season. Senior Anna Haddock leads the Southeastern Conference with a jaw-dropping 12 assists. Last match against LSU, Haddock broke Auburn’s career record with the 43rd assist of her tenure.

“We have what we need to be successful this postseason,” Haddock said. “All that matters is each other. We’ll take it one day at a time and work on getting better with every rep. I’m excited to show everyone what we can do moving forward.”

Fifth-year starting goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska captains the Tigers’ backline that is one clean sheet away from an Auburn single-season record. Prohaska owns 27 saves and 0.67 goals-against average this year.

“With this being my fifth and final year, I knew we had to put our heads down and go to work,” Prohaska said. “I’m so proud of this team and our leadership for earning the right to play in the postseason, and to be able to do it at home.”

As this week’s match is an NCAA event, fans will need to purchase a $10 ticket to gain admission to the match. Tickets for the Tigers’ first-round faceoff are available for purchase here.

The full 2024 NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament bracket can be found here.