Auburn soccer took the first game of the season with a header late in the first half by freshman Charlotte Van Ishoven. It was the only goal the Auburn squad needed Friday afternoon to claim a season opening victory over the UC Irvine Anteaters.
"I was impressed with Irvine," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We played them last year and they're a much improved team. For us, it was a great win. Anytime you can win on the road and grind out the result I'm really proud of our team. It's a great start."
A solid Tiger defense stepped up to limit the Anteaters to just one shot on goal and four shots total. One shot came inside the box in the 68th minute, but was tipped away by Sarah Le Beau. The shutout was the first of Le Beau's career and her first time in action after redshirting in 2014.
"Defense was unbelievable today," Le Beau said. "Kala (Faulker) and Kiana (Clarke) really sorted out things that I couldn't control from where I was. When the ball was played big, they always made sure they were dropping in and covering one another."
The Tigers will continue their road trip on Sunday, Aug. 23, at 1 p.m. against Long Beach State.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
