Following a hard-fought 1-1 tie against Ole Miss, the Auburn Tigers are back home this Thursday to continue conference play against Texas A&M.
The Aggies, coming off a 3-0 loss to Georgia last Friday, enter the game with a record of 3-2-2. Texas A&M is still searching for a signature victory as wins over Lamar, UCCON, and Lafayette are respectable, back-to-back losses to ranked opponents, TCU and Georgia, question whether or not the Aggies can beat a marquee team.
The Aggies started the season off hot offensively - tallying 12 goals in their first 5 games. However, they have since cooled off, scoring just 1 goal in the last 3 games. The Aggies' offensive attack runs through junior Liah Diaz. A forward from Richardson, Texas, Diaz has gotten off to a hot start to the young season, tallying 10 points with 3 goals and 4 assists. Diaz has the Aggies' lone goal in the past three games. Other junior forwards, Trinity Buchanan and Kaylee Noble, also have a trio of goals to complete a dangerous attack for the Aggies. Goalkeeper Sydney Fuller commands the net for A&M. She currently sits with a .750 save percentage, stopping 15 out of 20 shots faced. Aggie head coach Gerald “G” Guerrieri will likely have his group ready to go as he looks to add another win to his total of 500+.
Despite the tie score, the Tigers are coming off a very convincing 90 minutes against Ole Miss. They outshot the Rebels 24-8 (13-1 on goal) and earned 11 more corner kicks. Had it not been for a standout performance from the Rebels’ goalie, Sidney O’billovich, tying her career high with 12 saves, the Tigers likely would have left the pitch with all three points. However, Auburn’s inability to capitalize on its chances means the Tigers earned their second tie rather than their fifth win, bringing the overall record to 4-2-2.
So far through 8 games, the Tigers have scored 17 goals on an average of 8.75 shots on goal per game while conceding just 4 goals on under 2 shots on goal per game. At the heart of the offensive attack is dynamic forward Erin Fleury. The redshirt senior transfer from Syracuse has been on a tear to start the season, scoring 7 goals, including a 4-goal game against Kennesaw State on August 24th. Junior forward Olivia Woodson, coming off a Second-Team All-SEC honor last season, has built off her strong 2024 campaign, tallying 6 total points (2 goals and 2 assists). Per usual, Ayana Yapo will be in goal for the Tigers on Thursday. The redshirt freshman has stopped 10 of 14 shots faced so far this season for a .714 save percentage.
When the Tigers and Aggies face off on Thursday, the stakes will be high. SEC play always carries extra weight, and a win for both teams would not only help their postseason seeding later on,but it would set the tone going forward. Auburn is determined to defend its home field, trying to build off the momentum displayed against Ole Miss, while Texas A&M looks to prove it can get its offense to where it was earlier in the season and rebound against a ranked opponent. With both teams looking for their first conference win, eager to make a statement, expect a physical and competitive 90 minutes of soccer. Kickoff is Thursday, September 18, at 6:30 pm CDT. The game is available to stream on ESPN+.
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Cooper is a freshman majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
