AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn Tigers earned a program defining win on Sunday night, taking down the sixth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks 2-1 behind stellar offensive play.
The Tigers welcomed in their toughest competitor yet, and one that had had their number. Coming into the game, the Razorbacks had defeated Auburn in their last 9 straight matches. It was a different story tonight, and the streak ended at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
“That’s a legit top ten team, and we’ve been so close in so many other games,” said Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa. “We finally put it all together, and it’s a tremendous victory. One we really needed.”
An early free kick goal from Senior midfielder Anna Haddock put the Tigers on top early on. The strike in the third minute seemed to give Auburn the confidence they needed to compete. After an Arkansas equalizer, Junior midfielder Sydnie Thibodaux answered with a banger from way outside the box to round out the scoring, and win the game for the Tigers.
“That’s who you needed to step up,” said Hoppa, referring to the goal scorers. On a night where Auburn would need a stellar performance from their captain, Haddock answered the call.
The goal from Thibodaux was certainly one that might find itself on SportsCenter tonight, as she took a rip from far out.
“Thibs is a killer,” said her teammate Haddock. “There’s no one else I’d rather have at the top of the 18 striking that. I have all the faith in Thibs to take care of that shot.”
It was a shot so good that even Thibodaux herself was in a bit of shock. “Honestly, it was just pure shock,” said Thibodaux. “I don’t have words for it. It’s just such a good feeling.”
Not to be overshadowed by the stellar goals from the Auburn midfield, the Tiger defense played incredibly tough against a potent Arkansas attack. Arkansas was held to one goal on only four shots on goal.
Auburn Soccer has certainly been through a gauntlet as of late. The matchup with Arkansas was Auburn’s third straight match against a ranked opponent. After two heartbreakers, this victory is sure to give Coach Hoppa’s team a boost of confidence.
The road does not get any easier in the SEC, and with only five games left in the regular season, Auburn will look to build on their win.
“Just focus on one game at a time,” said Haddock. “It’s easy to get caught up in the SEC. We were purely focused on tonight, and that’s what put us above.”
Next up for the Tigers is Texas A&M at home on October 13th. That game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on WEGL 91.1 FM.
