Following two wins on the road against the Syracuse Orange and the Army Black Knights, Auburn (3-0-1) returns to the Plains looking to add to its three-game winning streak across regular season games.
The Tigers face off against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-0-1) and the American University Eagles (0-2-2). This will be the fifth time that the Tigers face Wake Forest, with the Demon Deacons holding a 2-1-1 record over the Tigers as head coach Karen Hoppa aims to grab her first win against the Demon Deacons. The Tigers and Demon Deacons played one another last season in which the two played to a scoreless draw. On the other hand, this will be the first time that the Tigers face the American University Eagles.
Directing Auburn’s attack, senior midfielder Anna Haddock looks to maintain her electric start to the season. Already contributing two assists, two goals and six points for the Tigers, she’ll also look to score in back-to-back games to match her goal tally from the 2022 season in which she netted three goals. Fifth year midfielder/forward Sydney Richards also aims to keep up her hot start to the season with two goals, one assist and five points to her name. Richards will also try to score her 20th career goal.
At the other end of the pitch, current team captain Maddie Prohaska looks to make her 200th save of her Auburn career against Wake Forest in what will be her 60th game for the Tigers.
Wake Forest currently holds a 3-0-1 record, opening its season with a narrow 1-0 win over Appalachian State, followed by a 1-1 draw to the Army Golden Knights and consecutive wins over Idaho State and Purdue. The Demon Deacons aim to continue their undefeated start to the season and gain some momentum for the remainder of the season.
Auburn’s defense will have its hands full dealing with Wake Forest’s attacking duo consisting of sophomore forward Caiya Hanks and junior forward Emily Murphy, who both have two goals, one assist and five points on the season. The Tigers’ midfield must be wary of junior midfielder Nikayla Small, Wake Forest’s leading assister this season with three so far.
American University heads to Auburn in search of its first win and goal of the season. The Eagles opened their season with a scoreless draw to the University of Maryland, followed by back-to-back losses against Duquesne and the University of Pennsylvania. The Eagles are coming off the back of a scoreless draw against the Longwood Lancers.
Sophomore midfielder Avery Klingensmith leads the Eagles in shots and shots on goal with eight and five, respectively. In shots, she’s followed by sophomore defender/midfielder Eliza Fisher, freshmen midfielder/defender Bella Miller and graduate student midfielder Ashley Molz with three. Junior goalkeeper Julia Kato has two shutouts on the season, aiming to reach her third in the matchup against Auburn.
Auburn will play Wake Forest on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m. CST on SECN+. A few days later, the Tigers will take on American on Sunday, Sep. 3 at 2 p.m. CST on SECN+.
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.
Hector Hernandez is a freshman from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in building science. He joined The Plainsman in fall 2023.
