No. 12 Auburn (6-1) will be back on the pitch this Friday to open SEC conference play against Georgia (7-1). The 12th ranked Tigers began the season with the longest winning streak in program history, but the streak ended last week in a 2-1 loss to No. 1 Florida State.
The Bulldogs are coming to the Auburn Soccer Complex on a six-match win streak, with their last loss coming against Gonzaga on August 22. During that stretch, the Bulldogs have scored five goals or more in four matches and shut out their opponents in three of the contests. In total they have outscored their opponents 25-3.
Leading the way for Georgia is the trio of Mollie Belisle, Danielle Lewin and Daniella Murguia, who have combined for 22 of the 33 goals scored this season for the Bulldogs. Belisle leads the way with 10 goals and Lewin is right behind with seven despite the fact that Lewin has not started a game this season.
Murguia is third on the team in scoring but she also has seven assists this season, tied for most on the team with Abby Boyan. The Auburn defense will have its hands full this Friday if the Dawgs have Belisle, Lewin and Murguia all on the attack.
For the Tigers, Anna Haddock is first on the team with five goals and Carly Thatcher sits in second with three, all of which came during her hat trick performance against A&M. Auburn has found the back of the net 19 times this season while only allowing six goals on the defensive end.
Auburn and Georgia have a storied history, with 26 total matches between the teams, dating back to 1995. The Tigers are currently on the longest winning streak in the rivalry, with five consecutive wins. They lead the series 12-11-3.
In their last meeting, Olivia Candelino found a hole in the Bulldog defense, scoring the lone goal of the match in the 62nd minute, giving Auburn the lead and eventually the victory.
The Tigers and Bulldogs will meet for the 27th time on Friday, September 17 with the match set to begin at 630 p.m. CST. The game can be seen live on SEC Network+ or heard live on WEGL 91.1 FM in conjunction with the Auburn Sports Network.
