AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn soccer enters one of its toughest weeks of the regular season as the Tigers prepare to face a pair of ranked opponents in No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 10 South Carolina.
First, the Tigers head to Nashville to face the Commodores on Thursday, Oct. 2. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT on SECN+. Sunday’s matinee will also be available on SECN+ and WEGL 91.1. Kickoff versus the Gamecocks is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, Oct. 5.
“Vanderbilt has a tremendous mix of veteran SEC experience and young talent,” Auburn head coach James Armstrong said. “They’ll be the most expansive team we’ve played so far. They’ve got a lot of intricate rotations and movements, and they can score in many different ways. Along with us, they’re one of the stingiest defenses in the conference. They do not allow very many chances against their own goal. Playing them will be a great opportunity for us to face adversity, test ourselves and grow as a program.
“Like Vanderbilt, South Carolina is another fantastic program having a great season this year,” Armstrong added. “Traditionally, they are one of the best on the defensive end of the ball, but they’ve also got a young lady by the name of Katie Shea Collins who is tearing it up offensively right now. We’ll have to be at our best on both ends of the ball Sunday if we want to take three points there.”
AUBURN NOTABLES
With five points on a 1-1-2 conference record, the Tigers currently rank eighth in the league standings. Following the completion of the regular season, the top 12 teams earn a spot in Pensacola, Florida at the 2025 SEC Soccer Tournament. The Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex once again hosts the event set for Nov. 2-9.
Against LSU, senior Erin Flurey scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season in the 53rd minute. Flurey ranks second in the SEC in goals per match and is just the third Auburn woman to score at least eight goals in a season since 2019, joining Olivia Woodson (2024 – 11) and Anna Haddock (2021 – 9).
The defensive duo of seniors Taylor Chism and Hayden Colson has anchored Auburn’s presence on the pitch in league play, as both women have yet to sub out of a conference match. Chism leads all field players with 924 minutes this season. Junior Jordyn Crosby and freshman Lily Devereaux have also been mainstays on the backline as they’ve combined to miss just 20 minutes in SEC play.
SCOUTING VANDERBILT
Darren Ambrose’s Commodores welcome the Tigers sitting on a 7-3-1 record, including an undefeated 5-0-1 mark at home. Last weekend, they fell 2-1 at Texas on a penalty kick in the final two seconds of the match. The week prior, they handled No. 24 Oklahoma 3-0 and narrowly lost at No. 10 Arkansas 2-1. The Commodores also picked up a quality win versus No. 16 Georgetown (1-0) in early September.
Through 11 matches, Vanderbilt has outscored its opponents 24-6 and has not allowed more than two goals at any point this season. Its GAA of 0.55 is third best in the SEC. On Thursday, the Commodores face the Tigers without standout goalkeeper Sara Wojdelko due to a red card suspension that occurred in the final minutes of their previous game against the Longhorns. Wojdelko boasts an impressive 0.48 GAA, five shutouts and an 84% save rate this season. Backup goalkeepers Alexa Gianoplus and Kennadie Marchand have seen less than 48 minutes combined.
Vanderbilt’s greatest offensive threat is Sydney Watts. The forward has six goals and one assist this season. Right behind Watts in terms of production are Olivia Stafford (four goals, one assist) and Courtney Jones (three goals, two assists).
This week marks the 25th meeting between Auburn and Vanderbilt. The series stands at 10-8-6 in favor of the Tigers through the previous 24 meetings. Auburn has not played in Nashville since 2017 and has not won there since 2012.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
Shelley Smith leads the Gamecocks in her 25th season as head coach. The nation’s No. 10 team sits firmly at 9-1-2 and is unblemished in SEC play thus far at 3-0-1. Its league wins have come at Alabama (2-1), vs. Ole Miss (4-0) and at No. 24 Oklahoma (2-0). South Carolina’s lone loss on the year came on the road at No. 16 Georgetown (1-0). It will face No. 7 Arkansas at home Thursday night before making the trip to Auburn Sunday.
With a 0.25 GAA, South Carolina leads the conference and ranks third in the nation in defense. The Gamecocks have put away 20 goals while only conceding three. Former SEC Defender of the Year Gracie Falla leads all field players in minutes played with 1,050.
For the second season in a row, Christina Tsaousis is her squad’s starter between the sticks. She’s started all but one match this season and possesses a 0.28 GAA with six clean sheets, 20 saves and a dazzling 87% save rate.
South Carolina’s most dangerous attacking weapon is the aforementioned Katie Shea Collins. A sophomore, Collins has already netted 21 goals just 31 matches into her collegiate career. She sits on eight and one assist this year. Five of her eight this season have proven to be match-winners. Mackenzie Johnson is another notable threat. The freshman has 12 points on five goals and two assists.
Auburn is 7-16-4 all-time versus South Carolina. The Tigers’ last win against the Gamecocks was a 2-1 upset in the quarterfinals of the 2021 SEC Tournament. Auburn has not beaten South Carolina on The Plains since 2012, when it did so by a score of 4-2. Last season, both sides met in Columbia in a match that concluded at 2-1 in favor of the home squad.
PROMOTIONS
Sunday’s match is Socctoberfest. The first 300 fans in attendance will go home with an Auburn Socctoberfest koozie.
Auburn continues its Stak’s Greek life challenge as the fraternity and sorority with the highest attendance through the remainder of the regular season will go home with a $250 gift card to Stak’s Pancake Kitchen. The check-in table for the challenge will be located outside the white tent on the south end of the facility.
As always, matches at the Auburn Soccer Complex are free and open to the public.