Although the shutout streak for the Auburn Tigers is over, a new chapter in SEC play begins. The No. 6 Auburn women's soccer team took on the Vanderbilt Commodores to open up SEC play. It had been eight years since Auburn had beaten Vanderbilt, and they looked to erase that drought as they faced off at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
The Commodores came into the matchup with only one goal allowed, which occurred in their game against Saint Mary's. Meanwhile, the Tigers came into this matchup allowing zero goals throughout the season, which resulted in an 8-0 start. The last time Auburn started their season so well was in 2018 when they started 9-0. Auburn looked to continue that streak against the Commodores, but Vanderbilt had other plans.
The entire matchup was neck-and-neck, with the Commodores drawing first blood with a goal from Rachel Deresky. About 10 minutes later, Auburn responded, tying the game off a goal from Dylan Driver. This was the second goal Vanderbilt allowed all year, with the first coming from Saint Mary's on Aug. 25th. With under two minutes left in the half, Auburn's senior midfielder Sydnie Thibodaux scored the second goal, leaving the score 2-1 going into halftime. The Tigers had twice as many shots as the Commodores in the first half with 12, whereas Vanderbilt only attempted six.
Going into the second half, the Commodores were not deterred by Auburn's impressive record this season. Vanderbilt shot a total of ten times in the last 45 minutes, while Auburn was only able to get off three shots. In the last 20 minutes of the match, Vanderbilt's Abi Brighton scored and tied the game at two goals apiece. With both sides in a defensive standstill, neither team could escape the other, and the game ended in a 2-2 draw.
Both teams finished the game tied in saves and shots on goal, while Auburn had fewer fouls and offsides. 31 shots were taken in tonight's matchup, but only ten found the face of the goal. The goalie matchup was intense, with both goalkeepers recording three saves. Auburn's Anna Haddock, Becky Contreas, Sydnie Thibodaux, and Jordyn Crosby were major contributors. The Tigers also did a great job at creating chances down the field, as Auburn ended the game with more corner kicks than Vanderbilt.
The Tigers are still in search of their first SEC win as they take on the Florida Gators at home on Sep. 22 at 2 p.m. Auburn and Florida are both entering the matchup with a 0-0-1 record in SEC play, hungry for their first conference victory
