The Auburn women's soccer team is motivated to usher in their 2015 season with the determination to continue the program's improvement for a third year. The Tigers exited the 2014 NCAA Tournament in the second round, one goal short of advancing to the program's first-ever NCAA Sweet 16. Auburn is primed for conference play with sights set on the next step into the postseason.
Defense has been the team's success strategy and it continues to improve. Last season Auburn recorded 10 shutouts with redshirt sophomore Alyse Scott in goal, tying for second-most ever in a season by an Auburn team. When entering second round match-ups in the NCAA tournament, four of Auburn's previous five matches have ended in the a shutout.
Improvements have been made on the offensive side of the ball as well. Auburn should see a boost in scoring this year with an offense as talented as the defense. The team lost two starters from a year ago, so it will still be bringing back nearly 80 percent of its offense. Five of the team's top six goal scorers will return this season, as the 36 goals netted last year was the most since 2011. Of those returning scorers four had 10 points or more last year, reaffirming Auburn as one of the more balanced attacks in the SEC.
In preseason voting by the league's 14 head coaches, Auburn was predicted to finish seventh in the SEC this season. Last season's preseason poll tabbed the Tigers at an 11th place finish, which led to an expectation-shattering tie for fifth finish following five conference match wins and a 14th-straight berth in the SEC tournament.
Auburn opens 2015 with its exhibition schedule on Aug. 13 at Kennesaw State at 6 p.m. The Tigers will return home Saturday, Aug. 15 for the first home contest against Mercer at 7 p.m. The team's first home match of the regular season is Aug. 28 with a 7 p.m. start versus UAB.
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