A full 90-minute clock did not suffice for either Tiger team to score, even though they combined for 27 total shots. Auburn and LSU fought to the end, resulting in a 0-0 tie Sunday in Baton Rouge.
The lack of offense wasn't anything new for Auburn. It has only scored multiple goals in a game against an SEC opponent one time this season (a 3-1 win over Kentucky) and has only scored more than four goals one time (9-0 win over Southern Miss).
It also has as many ties as wins heading into its last regular-season contest of 2022.
But a perfect save performance from goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska wasn't a rare occurrence either. Going 2-for-2 on save opportunities, Prohaska now moves up to 21 shutouts for her career, just a game shy of tying for the third-best mark in school history next to Amy Howard and Allison Whitworth.
Auburn (6-5-6, 2-5-2) record's its third scoreless tie of the season and kept its streak alive of not falling to the Bayou Bengals (8-3-6, 3-2-4) since the 2010 season.
"We played a great game," said Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa. "Our defense was outstanding to earn a shutout on the road against a really good LSU team, and our offense was really dangerous."
Thanks to the Orange and Blue backline, which consisted of Maddie Prohaska, M.E. Craven, Hailey Whitaker, Madeline Moore and Hayden Colson, they allowed only a pair of on-goal shots from the Bayou Bengals in the afternoon to prolong the team’s amazing shutout streak of seven consecutive matches against LSU.
Anna Haddock, Sydney Richards and Maddie Simpson are to thank on the offensive side of the ball for getting the Tigers multiple shots off during the game. Haddock and Richards placed multiple kicks on goal, with a pair a piece being the only Auburn attackers to do so.
Giving it everything they had with a trio of opportunities to score within the first 15 minutes, Auburn decided to take one of its most dangerous chances on a cross from Haddock to Carly Thatcher for a right-footed kick at the left post. However, Mollee Swift of LSU made a terrific diving stop to keep the ball from going into the goal and preventing Auburn from ending the shutout.
Making the necessary halftime adjustments, LSU decided to switch it up after Auburn outshot LSU 6-0 in corner kicks during the first half.
It created six of its own in the final 45 minutes. However, due to the pressure of the defense, the Auburn backline was able to hold their ground and kick 11 shots away to complete the team’s seventh shutout of the year. That tied the seventh-best total in program history.
Auburn will now return home to finish its final regular season match of the year, hosting rival No. 1 Alabama on Senior Night on Thursday, Oct. 27. 7:30 p.m. CST is when the first kick at the Auburn Soccer Complex is set on the SEC Network to end Auburn's 2022 regular season.
"Now, it all comes down to the biggest rivalry in sports on Thursday for the Iron Bowl of soccer," Hoppa said.
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William Halliday started with The Plainsman in fall 2022. He is a journalism major from Memphis, Tennessee.
Twitter: @wphalliday3
