Auburn opened up its spring exhibition season Saturday with a 2-0 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls.
The two teams traded momentum back-and-forth for the first half of the match. The Tigers played aggressively in the mid-field and were able to get second-scoring opportunities as a result. Early on, however, the Tigers could not capitalize on these opportunities, missing four shot attempts in the first half.
The Tigers' aggressive play benefitted them on the defensive end as well. Auburn forced Kennesaw State to take all of its shots from distance, and the Owls went 0-for-3 on shots in the first half.
Going into the half, neither side had established a significant advantage.
The second half opened up with Auburn setting up a promising attack early before stalling out. The Tigers continued to create scoring opportunities, but the defensive efforts of Kennesaw State goalkeeper Dylan Pixon keep the game scoreless. Pixon recorded five saves in the second half.
At the 21 minute mark, the Tigers' mid-field efforts paid off, as Anna Haddock scored a goal off a second-chance effort to give Auburn the lead. After this, the Tigers never looked back, and Auburn’s defense held up strong with goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska recording two saves in the final 10-minute stretch. Jaycie Silhan added another goal to the Tigers' lead in the final five minutes of the game to put the Owls away for good.
Auburn will travel to Atlanta for its next matchup on Saturday, Feb. 26, to take on the Clemson Tigers at 10:30 a.m. CST.
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