AUBURN, AL. (EETV) - On Thursday evening, No. 13 Auburn soccer took on Georgia at the Auburn Soccer Complex in an “All Auburn, All Orange” match.
Georgia got off to a strong start, with midfielder Nicole Vernis scoring a goal just one minute and 46 seconds into the game. This marked the first goal Auburn’s defense had allowed to the Bulldogs in the regular season since 2016. However, Auburn responded quickly, equalizing eleven minutes later when senior Anna Haddock found the net, assisted by Shelby Sallee and Becky Contreras. Auburn is 17-2-1 all time in matches when Haddock puts the ball into the back of the net herself, making her early goal a positive sign for the Tigers.
With the match now tied at 1-1, intensity was high. The Bulldogs threatened again shortly after Auburn’s goal with a shot from Hannah White, but a team save from the Tigers kept the score level. There was great effort shown by both defenses, and no more goals were scored for the rest of the first half.
Going into the second half, it was anyone's game, with the match tied 1-1.
The second half started off slow, but remained competitive. Auburn managed two shots to start compared to Georgia's only one. Despite the slow offensive start for both teams, intensity remained high. With 20 minutes left in the match, Auburn was awarded a penalty kick. Fifth-year senior Mallory Mooney capitalized on the opportunity, scoring Auburn’s second and final goal of the night.
As the clock started to wind down, Georgia ramped up their offensive efforts, firing off three more shots. Auburn stood strong and continued to play great defense, not allowing Georgia to score. All momentum seemed to be on the Tiger’s side until the final minute. Georgia kept battling and with just 25 seconds left, Nicole Vernis struck again with a game-tying goal. With such little time left, Auburn was not able to score again. The match ended in a 2-2 draw.
This draw means Auburn finishes the regular season undefeated at home (9-0-3) for only the third time in the program’s history.
The Tiger’s will look to conclude the regular season on a high note, as they travel to take on No. 22 South Carolina on Oct. 27. That game will air at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network and ESPN+.
