AUBURN, Ala. - The Ao. 13 Auburn Tigers (12-1-3 SEC: 4-1-3) finished up their home regular season games with the Deep-South’s oldest rivalry against the Georgia Bulldogs (7-4-6 SEC:3-2-4). Auburn would continue their now eight-game unbeaten to the Bulldogs in a 2-2 tie, but it still felt like heartbreak as the equalizer came off Georgia’s Nicole Vernis foot with 35 seconds left on the board.
“Disappointing, but we’ll learn a lot,” Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. “Georgia is a great team. Really, really unfortunate to give up the late goal, but we have no choice but to learn from it. That was every bit the feel of a playoff game. With postseason around the corner, that’s how it’s going to be from here on out. We’ve got to be better moving forward.”
Vernis's last minute heroics were not the only goal of the game as she also opened the contest in the first minute with a goal to the bottom right of the goal. Auburn would respond quickly with Anna Haddock’s fifth goal of the season just a minute later. After the fiery start the rest of the first half with nine total shots with no other goals.
Auburn would break the 1-1 tie as Mallory Mooney got her third goal of the season as a penalty kick to the bottom left of the goal hit the back of the net at the 70th minute. Auburn would hold onto the lead until Vernis got her brace and Georgia would hold onto the tie.
“I knew it was going in before I even took it,” Mooney said. “I’d prepared for that moment. I picked my spot and I hit it hard."
Auburn would finish tied in the shots and shot on goal department with 10 and seven respectfully.
Auburn finishes their season in Columbia South Carolina against the No. 22 Gamecocks at 3:00 p.m. CDT. After that a trip to Pensacola awaits the Tigers for the SEC Tournament the week of November 3.
