The Auburn soccer team (5-2-3) will look to continue its strong home form Thursday night when it hosts LSU (5-5-1). The Tigers are seeking their fifth home victory of the season and their second SEC win.
Auburn is coming off a tightly contested 1-1 draw at Mississippi State, a match that nearly swung in Auburn’s favor in the final minutes. Head coach James Armstrong said he was pleased with his team’s effort despite the sting of conceding late.
“A really tough place to play on the road against a quality opponent,” said Armstrong. “I’m so proud of the effort from the girls from start to finish. Obviously, it stings a little bit because we feel we were so close, but overall I think a draw is probably a fair reflection of the game tonight.”
That late equalizer from the Bulldogs cost Auburn an important conference road victory and highlighted an area the team knows it must improve: closing out matches. Auburn has not lost an SEC match this season, but it has also struggled to put games away, recording two draws in conference play.
Meanwhile, LSU enters Thursday’s matchup after a 2-1 defeat to No. 5 Tennessee. The Bayou Bengals have not won a match since their September 6 victory against Utah. In the two weeks since, they have tallied two losses and one draw, leaving them hungry to find their footing in SEC play.
Offensively, LSU has shown flashes of quality, scoring 19 goals on the season. Of the team’s 152 total shots, 61 have been on target. Junior forward Ava Galligan leads LSU in scoring with five goals, while sophomore midfielder Ida Hermannsdottir has contributed four goals of her own with an impressive .700 shots-on-goal percentage.
Auburn, by contrast, has relied on its defensive consistency. The Tigers have allowed just five goals all season, compared to 13 conceded by LSU. Armstrong’s squad has been effective at applying pressure in the midfield and forcing opponents into low-percentage looks.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Ayana Yapo has played a key role in that success. Yapo has recorded 15 saves this year and has already posted six shutouts in 10 matches, becoming the first Auburn freshman to reach that mark since Sarah LeBeau in 2015.
That inability to finish games was evident against Mississippi State, when the Bulldogs equalized in the final three minutes. Auburn will need to guard against similar lapses against LSU, a team that has proven capable of capitalizing on defensive miscues.
The series history favors Auburn. Since 2011, the Tigers are 12-4-1 against LSU and have shut out the Bayou Bengals in nine of the last 10 meetings. Auburn will look to continue that trend in front of a home crowd that has provided steady support this fall.
The Tigers will play against the Bayou Bengals on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. CDT at Auburn Soccer Complex on the SEC Network.
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