Auburn soccer looks to improve its conference record to 2-0 when the No. 11 Tigers visit Tennessee.
The Tigers boast an overall record of 7-1 following a win over Georgia in their first conference game of the season. Their only loss was to No. 1 Florida State.
The Lady Volunteers, 7-1 overall, are 0-1 in Southeastern Conference play after suffering a 3-1 defeat at Arkansas. Tennessee won its first seven games without allowing a single goal. On Friday night, the Lady Volunteers surrendered their first goal of the season, ending a stretch of over 633 minutes without allowing an opponent to score. Claudia Dipasupil and Taylor Huff are tied for the team lead with five goals each.
Players to Watch:
Auburn
Anna Haddock - After recording her second brace in Auburn's conference-opening win over Georgia, Haddock was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this year. She also received her third Top Drawer honor of the season making Team of the Week.
The sophomore midfielder has scored seven goals in eight games this season, the most by an Auburn player since 2000. Haddock's seven goals are tied for fourth in the SEC.
Tennessee
Taylor Huff - Huff, a freshman midfielder, leads Tennessee in shots attempted and is tied for a team high in goals scored. Huff has scored five goals in 28 shot attempts. While only 18% of her shots have found the net, 15 of her 28 shots have been shots on goal. If this trend keeps up, Auburn goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska could have a busy night trying to keep Huff off the board.
Keys to the Game:
Shots on Goal - Against an opponent of Tennessee’s caliber, the Tigers will need to make the most of every shot opportunity they get. Of the 153 shots Auburn has taken this year, less than 40% have been shots on goal. Only 43% of the shots Tennessee allows are shots on goal, so the Tigers will need to make Tennessee goalkeeper Lindsey Romig work when they get a chance. If they can shoot the ball effectively, they may put themselves in a position to win. If their shots are off target, it makes it much more difficult to earn a road victory.
Goalkeepers - Auburn’s Prohaska and Tennessee’s Romig boast stellar save percentages. Prohaska has saved 75% of the shots attempted against her, while Romig has saved almost 86% of shots on goal. In a game between two top defensive teams, both goalkeepers will have to be at their best, as one goal could be the difference in the game.
The game between No. 11 Auburn and Tennessee will begin at 6 p.m. CST on Sept. 23 at Regal Soccer Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
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Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.
Twitter: @mattwallaceAU
