AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - The Auburn Tigers upset No. 6 ranked, SEC foe Arkansas 2-1 to end their 2-game losing streak and tie their total SEC wins from last year.
The Tigers also grasped their first win against a top-10 ranked opponent since Oct. 15, 2021, against No. 10 Florida, and broke the Razorbacks’ perfect 5-0-0 SEC record.
"This was the first time we had a total team effort on both ends of the ball this year," Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We are capable of amazing things when we play like that for the full 90. I thought our bench was fantastic. Everyone that came in the game made an impact. Everyone did what they needed to do to help us win the game, all 28 of them."
Sydnie Thibodaux, who scored her first season goal last week against South Carolina, returned to the pitch with a hot foot; she had one of three of Auburn’s shots on goal against Alabama as well.
Maddie Simpson won the battle for the ball and drippled up to midfield where she fed the ball to Thibodaux, where she shot a bomb from 10 yards outside of the box, hitting the top right of the net for Auburn to take the lead in the 60th minute.
"I just hit it. That's all I can really say," Thibodaux said. "I was looking for my window and I found it. We've been saying that we can hang with any team in the country, and this is a huge confidence boost and the validation that we truly can."
Four of her five career goals have now come against ranked opponents.
Anna Haddock attacked first, being awarded a freekick in the 3rd minute, and she shot around the Razorback wall, curving the ball into the bottom right of the net for Auburn’s first goal.
Haddock is now up to 18 career goals in her four years, and a six came against top-25 teams.
The Tigers narrowly outshot Arkansas 12-10; the Razorbacks averaged 16.1 shots per game and held their opponents to an average of 10.8 per game.
Both teams continue the SEC trend of physical games, having an incredibly tough and emotional game, combining for 31 fouls and Arkansas had three yellow cards.
Senior goalie Maddie Prohaska also contributed to the Tiger’s top-10 win; she had three saves and only allowed one goal against the leading SEC college in goals per game and fourth in shots.
Prohaska and the Tiger defense shut down both Arkansas’ leading scorers to 1 shot between the two.
The Tigers host Texas A&M next to kickoff fall break Friday night, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. CT. The match will be Military Appreciation Night.
