AUBURN TAKES DOWN NO. 10 FLORIDA, 1-0

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On a brighter note

AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn soccer team defeated No. 10 Florida (11-4-0, 5-2-0 SEC), 1-0, Sunday afternoon at the Auburn Soccer Complex. The win marks the Tigers’ third straight against the Gators and fourth in the last five meetings.

 

 

With the result, Auburn (7-4-3, 4-1-2 SEC) has now totaled 14 points during conference play with three regular season matches remaining.

“I’m really proud of the girls,” head coach Karen Hoppa said. “It wasn’t always our best soccer, and credit to Florida. They’re a great team. We dug deep and found a way to win. Our defensive effort was phenomenal. Sarah Le Beau in goal was on fire, and you could tell she was playing for her dad today.”

Senior forward Kristen Dodson paced the Tigers’ attack as she netted her eighth goal of the season and fifth in the last five games. Freshman Alyssa Malonson pitched in with the assist on the play, which was her second in the last two matches.

Le Beau led the Auburn defense to its sixth shutout of the season and fourth in conference play. The redshirt junior goalkeeper totaled seven saves and controlled multiple passes into the box throughout the match. Le Beau, whose dad suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, turned in arguably her best performance of the season on Kicks for MS Night.

“It was a total team effort today,” Le Beau said. “If we didn’t play together as a team, it would’ve been extremely difficult to get a result, and that’s what we did today.”

After the two teams went into halftime in a scoreless draw, Dodson capitalized on one of Auburn’s first chances of the second half. The Aurora, Ill., native ran down a pass from Malonson from midfield, found herself behind the Florida defense and ripped a near-side shot past the Gators’ goalkeeper in the 53rd minute. Dodson’s game-winner was the 10th of her career. It also marked her fifth goal in the last five matches.

“We just continue to get better,” Dodson said. “That’s what you have to do throughout the season and we’re playing some of our best soccer towards the end.”

From there, Le Beau and the Auburn defense continued to thwart the Florida attack and preserve the lead. Le Beau’s seven saves – three of which came in one-on-one situations – were her third most of the season and her highest total in SEC play. At the final whistle, Auburn became just the third team to hold the Gators scoreless this season.

 

Eighteen Tigers saw action in the match, including five that went the distance.

The Tigers head to Oxford, Miss., for a matchup against Ole Miss Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. CT. The Tigers then cap off the week by hosting LSU Sunday, Oct. 22 at 5 p.m. The match at the Auburn Soccer Complex will be broadcasted on ESPNU.