After a tie on the road against Kentucky on Oct. 18, No. 13 Auburn wraps up the regular season with a home match against Georgia on Thursday, Oct. 24, and a trip to No. 22 South Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 27.
While the Tigers came away empty-handed at Kentucky, they have been 3-0-2 since recording their lone loss of the season at Texas A&M on September 26.
Sophomore forward Olivia Woodson has been the breakout star for the Tigers this season, tied for the SEC lead with 10 goals.
With her third brace of the season coming at Tennessee on Oct.13, Woodson became the first Auburn Tiger to record three braces in a single season since Kristen Dodson in 2017.
Graduate student midfielder Anna Haddock has been the playmaker for the Tiger offense, tallying 11 assists on the season to lead the SEC and ranking third in the country. Alongside her 11 assists, Haddock has also netted four goals on the season, all of them game-winners.
Since the Tigers' lone season loss at Texas A&M on Sept. 26, Auburn has gone 3-0-2 to continue to claim points in the race for SEC Tournament seeding.
Sloughing through the third hardest schedule in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs have found themselves in fifth place in the SEC with two games left to play.
After claiming the first program SEC Tournament title last season, Georgia is looking to once again go on a magical run to pave their way into the NCAA Tournament.
While Washington State transfer Margie Detrizio has scored a respectable eight goals to lead the team and sit tied for ninth in the SEC, junior goalkeeper Jordan Brown has been the star for the Georgia defense.
Brown’s saves per game (5.94) and total saves (95) leads the SEC and is top 20 in the country. With Auburn averaging almost 17 shots per game, Brown is going to have a challenge keeping balls out of the net.
Going 2-0-2 in its last four matches, No. 22 South Carolina is looking to end its season strong with a matchup against the Tennessee Lady Volunteers on Thursday, Auburn on Sunday and No. 3 Mississippi State on Oct. 30.
Remaining steady throughout the 2024 season, the Gamecocks are the fourth and final SEC team ranked in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
Having yet to drop a home match this season, South Carolina is hoping that luck will stick around when ranked Auburn and Mississippi State roll into Columbia, S.C.
With an offense led by forward power duo Katie Shea Collins and Catherine Berry, who have combined for 19 goals and 7 assists this season, South Carolina is once again shaping up to be a serious postseason contender.
Sitting in third place in the SEC entering Thursday, the Tigers are in good position to secure a first round bye in the SEC Tournament.
Thursday’s match is a key game for Georgia, who can tie the Tigers in points with a victory and bid for a first round bye of its own. South Carolina will also be looking to overtake the Tigers, as it is currently holding down the last spot in the top four.
Auburn will kick off against Georgia at 6:30 p.m. CST and against South Carolina at 3 p.m. CST. Both games will be streamed on SEC Network+.
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Emily Porch is a senior majoring in Sports Production from Sylacauga, Alabama. She joined The Plainsman in fall 2021.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @emilycporch
