The No. 13 Auburn Tigers fell to the No. 22 South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, SC in the regular season finale on Sunday.
As expected, a late-season SEC matchup promised to be competitive. However, the Tigers were unable to get the job done, losing 2-1 to the Gamecocks.
Starting in the first half, South Carolina’s offense dominated the majority of the field, having multiple shots on goal and forcing the Tigers to defend.
It was in the final few minutes of the first half where the dynamics of the match shifted.
Auburn goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska saved four shots on goal before defender Emma Bucci scored in the lower left corner of the goal in the 43rd minute.
The Gamecocks had the lead over the Tigers for two minutes before forward Jordyn Crosby responded with a goal, tying the score 1-1. Crosby’s goal was her third of the season with an assist by forward/midfielder Olivia Candelino.
“When the ball fell to me, all I could see was the touch was at our home field and all I could think about was how many times I had practiced that exact volley,” Crosby said. “I knew that I had spent hours working with that wall for a moment like that. I knew what my job was, and I found confidence in my preparation.”
Coming out of the locker room, the match was an intense, offensive battle between both teams.
Auburn had three shots on goal within the first 15 minutes by midfielder/defender Hayden Colson, forward Olivia Woodson and midfielder/forward Becky Contreras.
However, in the 57th minute, forward Catherine Barry's shot got past Prohaska in the top corner of the far post, extending South Carolina’s lead 2-1.
Auburn had 14 shots on goal overall with goalkeeper Christina Tsaousis saving the majority along with having shots blocked by the Carolina defense.
Despite the result, the Tigers outshot the Gamecocks 14-12.
After the game, Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa voiced her frustration while saying the result gives the Tigers motivation for upcoming post-season matches.
“Really disappointed. We had opportunities to win the game, but we didn’t get it done,” Hoppa said. “Credit South Carolina, they made the most of their chances. It’s something we’re going to have to learn from and build on. It’ll become fuel for our fire as we head into the SEC Tournament.”
This result puts the Tigers at 12-2-4 overall and 4-2-1 in the conference before heading to Pensacola, FL for the 2024 SEC Tournament at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex.
The tournament will start on Nov. 3 following the completion of the SEC weather makeup matches and the tournament draws will be released on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
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Ginny is a junior majoring in sports production. She joined the Plainsman in the fall of 2024.
