Just days after closing out the regular season against Tennessee at home, the Auburn soccer team opened up the SEC Tournament against the Volunteers in Orange Beach, Alabama, defeating them once again with a 3-1 deficit.
“I thought Tennessee came out really on fire and pressed us hard in the beginning of the game and I thought we grew into the game," Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We started to solve the pressure and certainly Tennessee was tournament ready and we weren’t quite. I was really happy with the way our team grew into that first half and then second half we just exploded. What a tremendous performance by Casie Ramsier.”
It was Auburn's 21st appearance in the postseason and marks the 16th straight. The Tigers were notched as the No. 2 seed after going 9-2-0 in SEC play during the regular season, matching a program record for conference wins in a single season.
Casie Ramsier, recently named the SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and All-SEC First Team, led the way offensively for the Tigers on Wednesday afternoon. The senior notched three second half goals to give Auburn the advantage over the Vols.
The Tigers held a 15-3 shot advantage over their opponent heading into the half, where both teams were deadlocked at zero. Casie Ramsier found the back of the net in the 48th minute to give Auburn the advantage and added to the margin in the 54th minute with some help from teammate Kristen Dodson.
“Second half we came out with a lot of energy," Casie Ramsier said. "First half, we had some chances but didn’t put them away and the second half we were ready to take control and came out fast and were able to get the goal."
Tennessee responded in the 56th minute to cut the score in half, but that would be the only noise made from the opposing Orange.
Casie Ramsier topped of the day with a hat trick, the first of her career, in the 73rd minute put Auburn up over the Vols. The goal made her the first player to score three goals in one half since Tammy Waine against Alabama A&M in 2000. It wouldn't have been possible without solid passing from her teammates, according to Ramsier, she "was just happy to see them go into the back of the net."
“That’s Casie," Hoppa said. "She turns up in big games and it’s tournament time. She’s our leader on the field and off the field and boy she took care of business today.”
Auburn outshot Tennessee 23-6 with nine shots on target. Kristen Dodson led the Tigers with 7 shots, while Brooke and Casie Ramsier followed with five each.
Auburn will move on to face Arkansas on Friday, Nov. 4 with first kick slated for 6 p.m. CST.
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