This Sunday the Auburn Tigers (4-2-4) get set to host the No. 13 Ole Miss Rebels (8-0-2) for the SEC home opener at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Noah Phillips and Aidan Kowalski will have the call on radio dial 91.1FM and be streaming on weglfm.com.
After a 1-0 loss in Fayetteville on Thursday to a ranked Arkansas team, the Tigers work to get back on track who currently hold one win in their last four matches. Despite ranking fourth in the conference in goals against average (0.50), Auburn’s struggles result from their lack of offensive production.
Their opponent, the Rebels are a premier team in the SEC after finishing last years conference play with a 6-3-1 record and continue trending upward. Senior backstop Ashley Orkus holds a 0.30 GGA including seven shutouts in 10 games is a leader backing a powerful offensive front. Two Seniors, Marykate McGuire (5) and Mo O’Conner (5) lead the Rebels in goals and are big contributors to the dominant start to conference play this season with wins at Kentucky and against Florida.
If the Tigers look to get back in the win column and take down a momentous Ole Miss team, it will require strong performances from the offensive front.
One interesting point to note is the decision of switching from Auburn’s standard 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 giving the Tigers more depth to their back field.
Junior Keeper Maddie Prohaska has started all 10 games for the Tigers recording 33 saves on five goals good for a .868 save percentage. Auburn is close to turning their season back around given Prohaska hasn’t allowed more than one goal in any start this season. Adding an extra defender to their line will only see Tiger backstop numbers improve even more.
For fans who can attend the match, don’t forget your furry companion for another rendition of “Pups on the Pitch” night. Sunday’s afternoon temperature calls for Sun and low 80s as the Tigers look to get back to their winning ways.
