AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn soccer winds down the regular season with its final two-match week of the year, hosting Oklahoma on Thursday, Oct. 16, then venturing to No. 19 Georgia on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Thursday’s kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SECN+. Brit Bowen and Nick Flohre will be on the call. Sunday’s match is slated for 4 p.m. CT. Marion Crowder and Jonathan Yardley are on the call on the SEC Network. Radio coverage for both matches can be found at WEGL 91.1.
“I would say that Oklahoma is the most in-form team in our league right now,” Tigers head coach James Armstrong said. “They’ve got some great results, especially in conference. They’re very direct. Everything is going forward. Everything is in the air. They’ll make you uncomfortable. For us, it’s a matter of competing for that first ball, securing the second ball, bringing it down and playing our game and not letting our rhythm get disrupted.
“Georgia’s coming off the back of a fantastic result against Arkansas. They’re well-coached and a tough test for any team that faces them, especially at their home field. Georgia is a very good soccer team, who has had a couple of disappointments like us, but they’ve been able to turn it around like we’re hoping to do this week.”
AUBURN NOTABLES
Last match at Alabama, Auburn bagged three goals to set a new season high in Southeastern Conference play. Its goals were scored by junior Olivia Woodson, junior Jordyn Crosby and senior Erin Flurey.
With 10 goals in the bank, Flurey leads the league alongside South Carolina’s Katie Shea Collins. She is also one of four players in Division 1, and one of two from a power conference, to have scored four goals from the penalty spot this season. Flurey is a perfect eight-for-eight from the spot in her career.
Both head coaches of the Tigers’ opponents this week are former Auburn assistant coaches. Oklahoma head coach Matt Mott followed Karen Hoppa from UCF when she was hired in 1999 and coached alongside her on The Plains until 2005. Georgia’s head coach, Keidane McAlpine, was on the Auburn staff from 2006-11. McAlpine was a part of the Tigers’ SEC Tournament Championship team in 2011.
Sunday’s match in Athens will be Auburn’s fifth against a ranked opponent this season. Of the five ranked matches, four have been on the road. It’s the program’s most away contests against ranked opponents since 2020, when the Tigers faced the same amount.
SCOUTING OKLAHOMA
Mott’s Sooners roll into town at 9-3-3 and No. 37 in the latest RPI. Oklahoma went undefeated in non-conference (7-0-1) and earned a statement 4-1 win over No. 22 Oklahoma State. In SEC play, the Sooners are 2-3-2 with wins versus Florida (2-1) and at Alabama (3-1). They’ve also earned points with draws against Texas A&M (0-0) and No. 4 Tennessee (0-0).
Offense has been a strength of this Sooners side as it ranks tied for third in the conference with 32 goals scored and tied for first with 34 assists. Kayla Keefer and Naomi Clark spearhead the OU attack. Keefer tops her team with 18 points on five goals and eight assists while Clark sits one point behind with seven goals and three assists. Four of Clark’s seven goals have come as match-winners.
Defensively, Oklahoma features a 0.93 goals-against average with five clean sheets. Caroline Duffy has seen nearly every minute between the posts and has stuffed three-fourths of all shots she’s faced this season. Defender Riley Brown leads all field players with over 1,300 minutes played, including full-90 outings in five of her last six appearances.
Thursday’s match marks the first meeting in history between Auburn and Oklahoma.
SCOUTING GEORGIA
McAlpine’s Bulldogs are 8-3-4 this season and have dropped just two of their 10 contests at home. Their best non-conference result was a 2-0 win against No. 12 North Carolina. In league play, they’ve gone 4-1-2 with wins against Texas A&M (3-0), Kentucky (1-0), Ole Miss (4-1) and No. 6 Arkansas (1-0).
Like Oklahoma, Georgia’s offense can prove to be overpowering, having scored one fewer goal than the Sooners (31) to rank fourth best in the conference. With seven shutouts, the Bulldogs’ back line has proved to be one of the league’s stingiest.
Summer Denigan put the nation on notice with her 19 points on nine goals and one assist. Behind Denigan is Kiera Staude, who owns 13 points thanks to six goals and one assist.
Georgia’s goalkeeper, Hannah Folliard, stepped in to fill the shoes of All-SEC performer Jordan Brown, who is out for the season due to injury. Folliard has had no issues upholding Brown’s standard as she’s racked up 26 saves and a 0.73 GAA with a 72% save rate.
Sunday’s clash marks the 30th meeting between the Tigers and the Bulldogs. Auburn narrowly leads the previous 29 meetings at 13-11-5 but is winless over the last two. Last season, both sides met on The Plains and battled to a 2-2 draw. Auburn returns four starters and three reserves from the 2024 meeting.
PROMOTIONS
Thursday is Breast Cancer Awareness Night at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive a pink bucket hat.
Auburn also continues its Nike Air Force 1 giveaway series with two more raffles Thursday night.