The Auburn soccer team jumps into Southeastern Conference play this weekend, traveling to Mississippi State on Friday and Ole Miss on Sunday.
Auburn is 3-2-3 on the year and is coming off of a scoreless tie with then-No. 1 and defending national champion North Carolina at the Duke Nike Classic last weekend in Durham, N.C.
“If we can play that quality of soccer and that pace of soccer, we need to carry that into every SEC game, because we are certainly prepared for the level of SEC play,” Auburn coach Karen Hoppa said.
Goalkeeper Amy Howard stopped a career-high 12 shots against North Carolina and was named the Soccer America Player of the Week, the SEC Freshman of the Week and a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer. She and defender Lizzie Hamersly also made the all-tournament team.
Howard enters the weekend leading the SEC in saves (49) and saves per game (6.12), is sixth in save percentage (.860) and 10th in goals against average (0.94).
Caitlin King and Katy Frierson lead Auburn’s offense with two goals and three assists each for seven points. Eight different players have scored at least one of Auburn’s 12 goals on the season.
VOLLEYBALL
Tigers return home for SEC matches
After three straight weeks on the road, the Auburn volleyball team returns to the Student Activities Center to face SEC Wes Division opponent LSU at 6 p.m., Friday. The match will be an “All Auburn All Orange” event and admission is free.
“It will be nice to play in front of our home crowd again and I’m
hoping that, with football being home, to get a great crowd from the
Auburn faithful,” Wade Benson, head volleyball coach, said. “LSU is
a tough team that has been picked to finish in the top of the
conference. Our youth will definitely be tested and we will have to be
ready for the competitiveness that LSU plays with.”
The Tigers (9-4, 1-1 SEC) opened the conference schedule with a 3-0 win
over Mississippi State last Friday. Junior Liz Crouch, the SEC Defensive
Player of the Week, finished the match with a career-best 31 digs. On
Sunday, fell 3-1 at Alabama.
LSU (7-4, 1-1 SEC) split last weekend, defeating Tennessee (3-2) and
losing to No. 16 Kentucky in three sets.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Tough tournament field awaits Tigers
The No. 8 Tigers will travel to Franklin, Tenn. this weekend for the 2009 Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship. The three-day event will be played at the Vanderbilt Legends Club.
The Tigers will face a fierce field with 14 teams ranked in the top 25 and eight ranked in the top 10. Coach Kim Evans said her team is ready.
“They’re all top-ranked teams, and we’re up for the challenge,” Evans said. “I have to think that over three days our goal is to be in the last group on the last day. I think we will be able to contend.”
