AUBURN, Ala. — Standing unblemished at 1-0-2 through the opening three matches of league play, Auburn soccer looks to pick up more points this Thursday, Sept. 25, as it hosts LSU for a 6 p.m. CT showdown at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
SEC Network will carry the match with Jill Loyden and Mike Watts on the call. Radio coverage may also be found at WEGL 91.1.
“LSU is an extremely well-coached team that has already played a very tough schedule this season,” Auburn head coach James Armstrong said. “I’d say this is the most consistent I’ve seen an LSU team play in a while. They have some special players that link up very well, are fit, move well and have good size. We expect a really good battle from this team we welcome to town on Thursday.”
AUBURN NOTABLES
Auburn rides the momentum of a four-point* week into the LSU match. First, the Tigers toppled Texas A&M 1-0 at home thanks to a late stunner from junior Olivia Woodson. On Sunday, Woodson bagged another as the Tigers went blow-for-blow in a 1-1 draw at No. 12 Mississippi State.
The tie against the Bulldogs marked the first time Auburn had taken points off a ranked SEC opponent on the road since 2021, when the Tigers matched No. 13 Ole Miss 2-2 in Oxford. It also ended a 12-match winning streak in conference play for Mississippi State.
In Starkville, the Tigers’ defense allowed just one goal paired with four looks on frame. It has yet to concede more than four shots on goal in any match this season and has allowed just seven shots on goal through 270 minutes of SEC play.
Auburn leads all SEC teams with just 22 shots on frame allowed this season. Kentucky ranks second with 25 allowed, followed by No. 17 Georgia at 28 and No. 12 South Carolina at 29.
Thursday’s matchup is momentous for postseason hopes as Auburn enters 57th in the RPI while LSU holds strong at No. 29. Auburn’s top win to this point is versus No. 71 Texas A&M.
*- SEC soccer rules dictate that in every league match, the winning team shall be awarded three points toward the conference standings. Should a match end in a draw, both sides receive one point.
SCOUTING LSU
LSU is led by sixth-year head coach Sian Hudson. Hudson’s Tigers are 5-5-1 on the season, which includes a 0-2-1 clip in SEC play. They opened conference action with a 0-0 draw on the road against a solid Vanderbilt squad, followed by losses to Alabama (2-1) and at No. 5 Tennessee (2-1).
The Bayou Bengals have two common opponents with the Tigers thus far this season, FGCU and Utah Valley. LSU blasted FGCU 6-1 on the road and narrowly fell to Utah Valley 3-2 in Orem.
Goal-scoring has been a strength of LSU this season. Veteran attackers Ava Galligan (5g) and Ida Hermannsdottir (4g, 2a) pace the offense with 10 points apiece. Freshman Sariyah Bailey has also been a playmaker for the Tigers as she sits on seven points with a pair of goals and a trio of assists.
Center back Jazmin Ferguson is a valuable asset for LSU on defense. She’s started every match and played all but 27 minutes this season, helping secure four shutouts. In goal, LSU has used a split-keeper system with Audur Scheving and Sophine Kevorkian. The latter has seen about 200 minutes more than the former. Kevorkian boasts more saves with 17, but Scheving has the better goals-against average at 0.93. Both have two clean sheets.
The series between Auburn and LSU heavily favors the Orange & Blue Tigers with 22 wins, nine losses and five draws. Last year, Auburn went into Baton Rouge and strutted out with a 4-0 win during the regular season; however, the victory was short-lived as LSU got revenge in the opening round of the 2024 SEC Tournament, upsetting Auburn 2-1. The win for LSU ended a streak of 16 straight matches winless against Auburn. It also ended a nine-match scoreless streak against Auburn.
PROMOTIONS
Thursday night is Greek Night at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The Tigers welcome all Greek life to the match as the fraternity and sorority that average the highest attendance throughout the remainder of the year will each go home with a $250 Staks gift card.
The Tigers also continue their custom Nike Air Force raffle series with another pair that will go to one lucky fan in attendance.
As always, matches at the Auburn Soccer Complex are free and open to the public.