The Auburn soccer team earned its fourth straight and 15th overall NCAA Tournament appearance Monday afternoon and will take on Hofstra in the first round Friday. The contest between the Tigers and Pride is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
“We were thrilled to see our name up there and even more excited to see that asterisk next to our name, which means we get another home game,” said head coach Karen Hoppa. “When we start this new season, the most important thing is that we’re all together and focused on the goal. It’s one game at a time, and we need everybody to rally together.”
Auburn enters the tournament with a 7-6-5 overall record and went 4-2-4 in conference play.
Auburn is 8-5 in the NCAA Tournament since 2011 and 5-2 all-time when playing at the Auburn Soccer Complex, including 3-0 in the last three tournament contests on The Plains. This postseason will mark the Tigers sixth year overall and third straight hosting a first-round match.
The 2017 Auburn senior class also becomes the second in program history to advance to the NCAA Tournament in each of their four seasons.
Auburn has achieved program firsts in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments as the team advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2015 and made its first ever Elite Eight appearance a season ago.
“There are no words to express these past four years,” said senior captain Courtney Schell. “I couldn’t have asked for anything different. The teammates I’ve had, our coaching staff, it’s all been amazing. To go to the NCAA Tournament four years in a row, it’s just incredible.”
Auburn is one of nine SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina earned a No. 1 national seed while Texas A&M and Florida earned a No. 2 and No. 3 seed, respectively. The nine teams set a SEC record, eclipsing the eight teams which was set in 2011 and 2014.
Hofstra is 15-3-2 overall this season and is riding a 12-match win streak. The Pride went 9-0-0 in the Colonial Athletic Association and went on to earn an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament.
Friday’s contest will mark the first between the Tigers and Pride.
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