AUBURN, Ala. — No. 25 Auburn soccer travels to Gainesville, Florida, Thursday to face Florida in a key conference matchup at Donald R. Dizney Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT, with the match airing on the SEC Network.
“We’ve got to focus on one game at a time and getting a result against Florida,” head coach James Armstrong said. “Florida is a very good team, very well coached. They’ve a talented squad that are fighting for the same thing as us right now. Right now, it’s all about how much legs you can have as you go into this back end of the season, particularly two away games.”
The Tigers (8-2-5, 4-2-2 SEC) enter the contest with one of the nation's top defenses, having allowed just four goals through 15 matches. Auburn leads the country with a 0.267 goals-against average and ranks fifth nationally in save percentage (.886) and third in shutout percentage (.733).
Auburn has recorded 11 shutouts this season, including five in their last seven matches, and are one of only three teams nationally to have allowed five or fewer goals.
The Tigers have also found ways to deliver in big moments offensively. Fifth-year forward Dylan Driver leads Auburn with six goals and 14 points, including a brace in the Tigers' 2-0 road win over No. 20 Oklahoma on Oct. 9. Driver scored twice in the second half to help Auburn secure back-to-back ranked regular-season victories for the first time since 2015. She has recorded three game-winning goals this season and reached 40 career points in Auburn's 1-0 win over No. 13 Tennessee.
Florida (6-6-3, 2-4-2 SEC) enters Thursday's matchup following a 2-1 loss at Arkansas, conceding the game-winning goal with seven seconds remaining. The Gators had taken a 1-0 lead into halftime on Katie Johnston's fourth goal of the season before Arkansas rallied for two second-half goals. Florida is led offensively by Kyra Taylor, who has seven goals and 17 points, while Zoe Main leads the team with six assists. Goalkeeper Jayden Emmanuel has recorded 34 saves.
Thursday marks the 33rd meeting between Auburn and Florida, with the Gators holding a 19-11-2 advantage in the all-time series and a 10-2-0 edge in Gainesville. Auburn won the most recent meeting, a 1-0 victory on Sept. 22, 2024, when Jordyn Crosby scored the decisive goal.
Following Thursday's contest, Auburn will close the regular season on the road against Texas on Nov. 1 before the SEC Tournament begins Nov. 8.
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