The Auburn Tigers (7-6-5, 3-4-3) visited the SEC east champion Georgia Bulldogs (8-4-5, 4-3-3) Thursday evening earning a 0-0 draw in Athens that proved to be a difference maker pushing them into the SEC tournament. Another defensive performance shone through for the Tigers with this being the second straight match the squad has been able to shut out its opponent.
“I thought Georgia looked as good as I’ve ever seen them. It was a testament to our effort and determination to be able to shutout a team like that. Now, we wait on the rest of the results and hope we’ve done enough to go to the beach.” Coach Karren Hoppa said after the match “Great effort from our squad.”
The stout Tigers’ defensive performance was led by goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska, who had three saves while facing a barrage all night from the Bulldogs attack who took a total of 14 shots. These three saves kept the Tigers in it and were a huge reason the Tigers were able to earn a point away from home. Prohaska also earned her 250th career save tonight on a diving stop in the 65th minute, becoming the sixth player in the Tiger's history to reach this benchmark. Prohaska was a massive impact player in the regular season finale although the team effort it took was not lost on the star goalie.
“Every single person, from the front to the back, made a difference in our defense tonight,” said Prohaska. “We had some big defensive plays from our back four. I’m really proud of them.”
The rest of the defense did shine as well out maneuvering the Bulldogs' attack having six different players block chances tonight which of course is a massive part of keeping the game scoreless and giving the Tigers a chance for all 90 minutes.
“We played our tails off tonight, and I couldn’t be more proud,” LJ Knox, one of the shot blockers, said. “We’ve grown together all season long, and this was a product of everything we’ve learned along the way. We hope there’s more to come from this team this season.”
Auburn’s attack lacked the final third threat that we have seen at times this year only recording five total shots throughout the match. There was only one shot throughout the whole match that threatened the goal coming from Marrisa Arias who also was able to create one of the two corners the Tiger’s were able to muster in the 90 minutes. Seniors Anna Haddock and Becky Contreas, alongside Freshman Jessica Osborne and Oliva Woodson added shots of their own.
The Tigers now sit eighth in the SEC standings which will put them into the SEC Tournament, which ultimately made this point essential to this achievement.
The Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola, Florida is set to host the 2024 SEC Soccer Tournament from Oct. 29 through Nov. 5.
