AUBURN, Ala. — For the 11th time in program history, Auburn soccer is moving on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament thanks to a dominating 4-1 victory from the No. 24 Tigers over FIU (13-5-2) Friday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
“Really proud of how we played,” Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. “We’ve put a lot of work in since our early exit from the conference tournament, and I think that showed in the game tonight. The girls were really clicking. We were finding feet. We were creating loads of opportunities, which is what we were doing earlier in the season when we were really, really good.”
Auburn (13-3-4) finished the regular season undefeated at home for the first time since 2003 with a 9-0-3 record in home contests during the 2024 season.
“Thanks to the Auburn family for coming out,” Hoppa said. “That crowd was incredible. We’ve had record crowds all season, and it makes all the difference.”
The Tigers used a well-rounded performance to collect their 13th win of the season. Auburn banked four goals on 19 shots, 10 of which were laced on frame. Senior LJ Knox got on the board early with a goal in the fourth minute. Sophomore Jessica Osborne followed in the 24th. Sophomore Jordyn Crosby scored Auburn’s third in the 78th, and junior Hayden Colson put the match away for good with a fourth in minute 84.
Auburn’s four piece ties the school record for goals scored in an NCAA Tournament match. The Tigers previously dropped four on South Alabama and UConn in 2016.
Defensively, Auburn conceded 10 shots with only two looks on goal to a potent Panthers attack. Catherine Rapp dashed the Tigers’ hopes of a clean sheet with her fourth goal of the season in the 80th minute.
Knox got the scoring fest started with her second goal of the season just under four minutes into the match. Senior Carly Thatcher drew a foul in a dangerous location which allowed senior Anna Haddock to serve a ball into the box that Knox took control of and pinged off a defender and into the back of the net.
Auburn found its second goal 20 minutes later from its other starting center back, Osborne. The sophomore from Summerville, South Carolina cashed in on the Tigers’ first corner kick of the night with a beautiful front post header on a serve from Haddock. It was Osborne’s first goal of the season.
On the play, Haddock earned her SEC-leading 13th assist of the year, tying Auburn’s single-season record originally set by Kellie Evans in 2000 and later matched by Caitlin King in 2007 and Katy Frierson in 2011.
Senior Sammie Brown kickstarted the play that earned Auburn’s third with a takeaway in the midfield in the 78th minute. Brown played sophomore Dylan Driver, who found Crosby’s feet with a through ball. Crosby made her run up the right side of the box and took on FIU’s Delinda Sehlin one-versus-one and cut back to open a window for a left-footed dime that curled into the low corner of the far post.
“It honestly felt freeing,” Crosby said. “I’ve struggled a lot with my confidence throughout this season, but thanks to my coaching staff and teammates, I finally have the confidence to go at goal. It’s what I’d been practicing these last two weeks, and it paid off.”
It was Crosby’s fourth goal of the season. Driver and Brown were rewarded with their eighth and third assists of the year, respectively.
After the Panthers struck for one in the 80th minute, Colson got it right back with her first goal of the season just four minutes later. Senior Sydnie Thibodaux served a corner kick into the box that senior Becky Contreras pushed to senior Olivia Candelino, who then passed back to an open Colson around the penalty spot. The junior from Denton, Texas took two touches before finishing it with a right-footed blast into the net.
“We said we were going to go hard and have a desire to score in this game, but at the same time, we had a desire to defend,” Colson said. “We played really well tonight. I’m really proud of my teammates on both ends of the ball.”
For the defensive midfielder, Colson, it was the second goal of her career, coming 56 matches after her first, which she scored in just her second game as a freshman.
With 53 on the season, Auburn has now more than doubled its goal total from the previous year and is three shy of matching the program’s single-season record from 2000.
Up next, Auburn travels to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a rematch with the No. 10 Ohio State Buckeyes. The match at Spry Stadium is set for Friday, Nov. 22. Game time will be determined shortly.