AUBURN, Ala — Auburn earned a point off No. 10 South Carolina Sunday afternoon at the Auburn Soccer Complex, going blow-for-blow in a physical battle that resulted in a 1-1 draw between the Tigers (5-4-4, 1-2-3) and Gamecocks (9-1-4, 3-0-3).
A converted penalty kick from the Tigers’ goal-scoring leader, senior Erin Flurey, gave Auburn the lead in the 29th minute. South Carolina leveled the match with a late penalty kick of their own, which was awarded for a handball in the box with less than three minutes remaining in the match.
“Once again, we’re leading against a really good team with two minutes remaining and we didn’t make the play,” head coach James Armstrong said. “It’s really demoralizing right now, but the good news is, the girls worked their tails off for large parts of the game. We’re growing in our play and our identity, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to learn how to win.”
With the draw, Auburn takes one point toward the league standings. It’s the first time the Tigers have taken points off a top 10 conference opponent in nearly two years. The last result was a 2-1 win against No. 6 Arkansas on Oct. 8, 2023.
In Sunday’s match, Auburn controlled 61% of the possession in the match and got off 10 attacking chances. The Tigers also outcornered South Carolina 4-2. Freshman goalkeeper Ayana Yapo made two massive saves in the contest. She’s got 21 this season.
In addition to Yapo, Auburn’s back line stood tall for the majority of the afternoon, limiting an explosive Gamecock attack to just three looks on target. Defenders Taylor Chism, Lily Devereaux, Jordyn Crosby and Erin Houston came up big and all played 80+ minutes. In the midfield, Hayden Colson and Gracie Brown were also vital in controlling the tempo. Both went the distance and saw the full 90. It was the first full-match shift of Brown’s career.
Up next, Auburn ventures into enemy territory for the Iron Bowl of Soccer, set for Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. CT in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.