Auburn kicked off its spring season with a 4-1 victory over the Kennesaw State Owls.
Auburn got off to a quick start generating offense. In the first 10 minutes of play, the Tigers attempted four shots, two of which were inside the goal box. Midfielder Dylan Driver scored the game’s opening goal to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead at the 31-minute mark, a score that held at halftime. The Tigers’ defense played a crucial role in Auburn's halftime lead, holding the Owls to one shot attempt.
The Tigers established the tone of the second half early, as LJ Knox scored a header shot to put the Tigers up 2-0 just six minutes into the half. The Owls attempted to create some offense of their own, but all efforts stalled out.
The momentum of the game appeared to shift completely in the Tigers' favor following an interception and score by Anna Haddock which gave Auburn a 3-0 lead at the 60-minute mark. With the Owls on the ropes, Driver recorded another score to give the Tigers a commanding 4-0 lead.
The Kennesaw State offense created shot opportunities in the final 20-minute stretch, but these efforts were nullified by goalkeeper Taylor Richards, who recorded four saves in that span. The Owls avoided a shutout, scoring in the game's final three minutes.
“She made some great saves and it was great to see her getting bold and play confident,” said head coach Karen Hoppa.
In their first collegiate action, Driver and Richards served as key contributors to the Tigers' victory. Driver led the scoring for Auburn as she recorded a brace.
“I went out with the mentality that I wanted to make the most of it because it was my first time, I was giving it my all every play and doing whatever I could to create as many opportunities.” Driver said.
Shot creation was another key factor for the Tigers, who attempted 23 shots compared to the Owls’ eight.
“Our offense was playing really well, we’ve got a lot of new players in that group, I thought they were clicking and creating a ton of chances,” Hoppa said.
Carly Thatcher and Haddock combined to turn defense into offense on Auburn's third goal. The press defense was a focus in practice for the Tigers.
“We’ve been working a lot on the press, so as teams are keeping it in the back we can step up,” Haddock said. “Carly Thatcher did a great job initiating that and luckily the other team made a mistake and we were able to capitalize.”
Though the Tigers earned the victory, Hoppa found ways her team can improve for its next spring matchup.
“Looking to the next matchup, we want to be more detail-oriented on defending set pieces, and I think we can be more effective in the final third," Hoppa said. "We created so many chances but we only scored four, so I know we can still do better.”
It will be a month before Auburn returns to the pitch, as the Tigers' next match will be at home against the Georgia Bulldogs on March 25 at 2:30 p.m. CST.
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