The No. 16 Auburn soccer team faced off against No. 9 Florida on Sunday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Tigers (17-6-0) defeated the Gators to advance to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history, setting a new record for most wins in a single season with the victory.
“First, congratulations to Florida,” Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. “They’re a tremendous team, the SEC Tournament champions, and obviously played a great game.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team. I thought we did not play particularly well in the first half. We fought hard and defended well, but we didn’t play soccer the way we wanted to and to go into halftime up – credit to Brooke [Ramsier] to get a goal against the run of play – I was really proud of the team and the adjustments they made in the second half.”
Kristen Dodson, Bri Folds and Brooke Ramsier each scored in the 90-minute affair to guide the offense. Sarah Le Beau protected between the posts to make six saves.
A ball found the feet of Dodson was then pushed forward into a danger area, but the three surrounding defenders were able to get a foot on it.
The ball, however, ricocheted off a defender and dropped to the feet of Ramsier. The senior shot a volley from 20 yards away to the far-post corner and found the back of the net.
The goal marked Ramsier’s second of the weekend and was the 16th point she’s secured in her last seven matches. Folds followed in the 62nd minute on a penalty kick to give Auburn a 2-0 lead over Florida. The Gators responded less than a minute later to cut the Tigers lead in half, 2-1.
After a plethora of chances for both squads, Dodson put the match away in the 84th minute.
The junior picked off a pass from Florida and took on three defenders at midfield. Dodson then saw the goalkeeper was off her line and chipped it up and over the final line of defense from 35 yards away to seal the victory.
The Tigers remained compact in the final five minutes and closed out the program-defining win, sending Auburn to its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
“Making it to the Elite Eight with this group is incredible,” Ramsier said. “Credit to all of us because they’re such a bond this team has and it really is a family. We fight for each other. We go out there and play 90 minutes for each and every girl on and off the field. It’s just a crazy feeling and we’re so happy.”
Auburn earned its second win in Gainesville this season after topping the Gators 3-0 back in September. In both matches, the Tigers defense held strong, limiting Florida to their lowest two goal-outputs of the season.
“We just stick together and support each other if we get beat,” senior defender Kiana Clarke said. “We cover for each other and pick up after another. We know we have each other to depend on and I think that’s a big part of our success today.”
Auburn makes its debut in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Friday when it travels to No. 3 USC.
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