AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - The match was scoreless through 86 minutes until Alabama's Riley Tanner connected on a header that knocked into the right post before going in. With the 1-0 loss, Auburn is eliminated from a birth in the SEC tournament.
This is the first time since 2000 that Auburn did not make the SEC Tournament. The Tigers still hope for a birth in the NCAA tournament, with the selections announced on Monday, Nov. 7, at 2:30 pm.
"We played great," Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. "They left everything they had on the field. We were just missing that same piece we've been missing all year — we just couldn't finish. We had plenty of chances, quality chances, and we couldn't finish. Unfortunately, we gave up that goal late, but a tie wouldn't have helped us. We had to win."
Auburn got 12 shots off in the match and outshot Alabama in the first half, 5-4. Despite the 12 shots, only three were on target. Auburn impressed by controlling the ball and getting shots off, but the seasonal problem persisted. The Tigers could not find the back of the net.
Auburn's defense stifled the Crimson Tide attack in the second half, not allowing a shot on goal for the first 35 minutes of the half.
Anna Haddock had two shots saved by Alabama keeper McKinley Crone including one from 35 feet out. In the 57th minute, Sydney Richards manufactured a corner kick. Hannah Waesch and Haddock ran a short corner which allowed Haddock to curl the ball toward the net before being poked over the net by Crone.
Auburn ends the season with 0.72 goals allowed per game, the lowest mark since 2003, and is the second-best in program history. Key to that mark this season was goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska, who had a 0.74 GAA which is tied for the second-best in program history with 2004 All-American Megan Rivera.
