No. 14 Auburn soccer drew with the Alabama Crimson Tide 1-1 Thursday evening, making their SEC record 3-1-2.
The game started with nice, sharp ball movement from the Tigers. Midfielders Carly Thatcher and Sammie Brown stood out, fighting hard to be first to the ball and keep it in play, something Thatcher says is something they strive for as a team.
“In the locker room we talked a lot about just wanting it more, just being first to those 50-50 balls,” said Thatcher. “That’s a big thing we harp on, is just getting a higher percentage of those. So it was basically just about our heart and that want and that work rate to get those balls.”
Neither offense could particularly hit the ground running Thursday evening. Auburn forward Olivia Woodson had several promising breakaways, but the game remained scoreless until the 52nd minute, when Kate Henderson capitalized on a mistake by the Auburn defense.
The introduction of another goal lit a fire under both teams, increasing the physicality even more. This increase in aggression led to Alabama fouling in their own penalty box, giving Auburn a penalty kick in the 59th minute. Thatcher took the kick, scoring in the lower left corner of the goal and evening the score.
The defense in this game was strong on both sides. Auburn only managed five shots on goal, while Alabama only managed two. A standout from the Auburn defense was Erin Houston, who kept Alabama’s Leah Kunde at bay throughout the first half. The Crimson Tide was held to three shots in the first half, zero shots on goal, a factor that helped keep the score even. Offsides also helped contain the Alabama offense, with the Crimson Tide accruing six offsides calls.
Both keepers played a large role in the game as well. Auburn’s Maddie Prohaska had one save on the two shots on goal from the Crimson Tide, while Ellie Lanyi saved four of Auburn’s five shots on goal. Head Coach Karen Hoppa spoke on Prohaska’s impact on this game and the team.
“I thought Maddie was great. She’s made a couple good saves, and I don’t think there was much she could’ve done on the goal,” said Hoppa. “She’s been a key to us all year long. Her play keeps us in games, gives us chances to win in every single game we play, and she did that again tonight.”
LJ Knox gets ready to send the ball down the field at the Auburn vs. Bama Soccer Game on October 10th, 2024
The physicality of this game stood out in particular. Between the two teams, there was a total of 26 fouls throughout the game. There were also two yellow cards, both on Alabama, and Auburn players were slow to get up after collisions on multiple occasions.
A notable potential injury was Auburn midfielder Anna Haddock, who struggled to get up after a particularly hard hit by Kiley Kukan. She managed to Thatcher spoke on Auburn’s response to the aggressive play by Alabama.
“With an in-state rival, it’s always going to be a physical game, but that again goes along with the heart and the want,” said Thatcher. “You’re going to play physical when you want it bad. So it’s just part of the game, and you just have to outwork the other team, outphysical the other team.”
No. 14 Auburn will be back in action this Sunday, Oct. 13 against Tennessee at 1p.m. CST with television coverage provided on ESPNU.
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Jackie is a freshman majoring in Drug and Biopharmaceutical Sciences. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
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