The Auburn women's soccer team pulled a win Sunday against Milwaukee in its second game of the MKE cup with a final score of 2-1.
"Today's game was important for us," said Katy Frierson, junior midfielder.
After suffering a loss Friday to Marquette University, the Tigers entered their Sunday match with new motivation.
Auburn led in the first period, as sophomore Jessica Rightmer, midfielder/forward, landed the first goal after 25 minutes.
The goal was assisted by sophomore Julie King, defender, and junior Ashley Marks, forward.
"Julie had the ball, and she was dribbling forward and played it through to Ashley," Rightmer said. "Ashley had a good touch and found me."
From there, Rightmer said she was able to put the ball into the left corner with her right foot.
Milwaukee tied the game 22 minutes into the second half with a goal by Keara Thompson. Less than 10 minutes later, Frierson secured Auburn's lead with a second goal for the Tigers.
"Katie was just doing her thing," Rightmer said. "She got the very tip of her toe and just kind of toe-poked it in. It was a really good finish."
Despite the loss, Milwaukee controlled possession throughout the game, as Auburn attempted three shots in the first half and seven in the second, while Milwaukee attempted four shots in the first half and 11 in the second.
"It was a very physical game for us," Frierson said. "We were just trying to keep the ball. The field here is very hard for us to play on, but we still managed to get the two goals in."
To coach Karen Hoppa, the game was noteworthy because it helped redeem the team's loss on Friday.
"We were really happy with the way we played on Sunday, especially as we didn't have a good result on Friday," Hoppa said.
She added she thought the team played well against Marquette, but was unable to secure the results they'd hoped for.
"We played much better (Sunday)." Hoppa said. "We played a lot harder and a lot faster, and it was great for us to come out with results."
To Hoppa, the game was pivotal in several additional ways.
"One, it was the first start for Jessica Rightmer and for Maddie Barnes," Hoppa said. "It was the first start of their careers. Rightmer's a sophomore, and she scored the first goal of her career. It was very exciting for her."
Hoppa said she was also impressed with the team's defensive performance against Sarah Hagen, one of Milwaukee's most notable forwards.
"Our defense played her awesome, never gave her an open look," Hoppa said.
After their performance Sunday, the Tigers have high hopes for the rest of the season.
"We want to be better than we were last year," Hoppa said. "We definitely want to compete not just for the SEC West Championship, but for the SEC championship and get into the NCAAs and go further than we did last year."
Auburn returns to The Plains for its match against Florida State tomorrow.
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