AUBURN, Ala. — A back-and-forth in-state battle between Auburn and Samford proved to be a showcase of defensive dominance as the Tigers (0-1-1) and Bulldogs (0-1-1) dueled to a scoreless draw Sunday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
“I thought the effort was there tonight. The quality was not though,” head soccer coach James Armstrong said. “Credit to Samford. It’s a rivalry game, and they’re a really good team, but we didn’t take care of the ball tonight. We’re going to have to get a lot better between now and the next game. I think the girls are putting the effort in, but as a coaching staff, we have to figure out how to get more quality in all areas.
“Ayana (Yapo) made some great saves. I thought the defenders worked hard. Once again, they fought tonight. They had to deal with a lot of aerial balls. They covered each other well.”
Auburn and Samford put up 13 shots apiece, with both sides also placing a matching four shots on target. Senior Taylor Chism created three chances, all off set pieces, while Auburn’s two center forwards, juniors Dylan Driver and Olivia Woodson, also accounted for three shots.
Samford forced six attacking corners to Auburn’s five.
AUBURN NOTABLES
Freshman goalkeeper Ayana Yapo made four vital saves en route to securing the first clean sheet of her career. All seeing big minutes defensively, Seniors Chism, Hayden Colson, Erin Houston, and Asha Means, as well as freshman Lily Devereaux, were key in upholding the shutout.
Freshman Clara Casajuana made her first collegiate start while fellow freshman Tyler Clyburn subbed into the match to make her collegiate debut. Senior Manu Baptista Filipe also checked into the contest to earn her first appearance in an Orange & Blue shirt.
UP NEXT
Auburn hosts Southern Miss on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 6:30 p.m. CT. It will be International Student Night at the Auburn Soccer Complex.