AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - The Auburn Tigers (4-4-2) reopens their 2020-2021 campaign by hosting Kennesaw State (1-0) this Friday at 5 p.m. CT at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
The Tigers are coming off a visit to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals this past fall season. It was their first visit to the quarterfinals since 2016. The Tigers scored 11 goals during their fall season, with 5 of those goals coming in their two SEC Tournament contests.
Two Tigers to look out for on the pitch today is sophomore forward Sydney Richards and freshman forward Mallory Mooney. These two both enter the spring season having back-to-back games with goals. For Mooney, those goals marked the first of her collegiate career. Bri Folds is the latest Auburn Tiger to score in three consecutive games, having done so in 2018 and 2019.
Mooney isn’t the only freshman making noise this year for Auburn. Freshman goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska led the SEC in save percentage over the fall season boasting an (.807) average. Prohaska also ranked amongst the top four in the league in saves (46) and goals against average (1.20).
Senior defender Alyssa Malonson will also be taking the pitch tonight. Malonson is Auburn’s second highest draft pick in program history after being drafted by the NC Courage in the second round of the 2021 NWSL draft in January.
This will be Auburn’s fifth all-time meeting against Kennesaw State, with the last time being back in 2011. The Tigers look to remain undefeated in this series.
Auburn had four players earning All-SEC honors in the fall, having had the third most honorees in the league and the most for the program since 2016. Seniors Alyssa Malonson and Sarah Houchin were named to the Second Team All-SEC, with Maddie Prohaska and Anna Haddock earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors.
Kennesaw State comes into this evening having played no fall season and having two of their three games this season cancelled. The only game they’ve played this season was a 1-0 win against Jacksonville University last Friday.
