Nov. 24, 2016 No. 16 Auburn at No. 7 USC
(17-6-0) vs. (16-4-2)
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Match
| Nov. 25, 2016 | 3 p.m. | --> |
| Auburn at USC | ||
AUBURN, Ala. -- AUBURN, Ala. -- Making its first ever appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight, the No. 16 Auburn soccer team is set for a tilt with No. 7 USC on Friday afternoon with a berth in the 2016 College Cup on the line.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT/3 p.m. CT at McAlister Field in Los Angeles, Calif. and will be stream through the Pac-12 Conference's website.
The Tigers (17-6-0) come into the contest having won their last three matches, outscoring the opposition 11-2. Auburn's recent offensive surge is the highest number of goals by any team in the NCAA Tournament field and is two ahead of the next-highest total of nine by SEC foe South Carolina.
Doing a majority of the heavy lifting have been Kristen Dodson and Brooke Ramsier, who were recently named to TopDrawerSoccer.com's Team of the Week. Together, the two have combined for six goals and six assists in NCAA Tournament action.
The Tigers have also notched points from five other sources in the three postseason fixtures. Casie Ramsier has accumulated six, Bri Folds has added four, Haley Gerken and Gianna Montini have each amassed two, while Karli Gutsche has chimed in with one.
Defensively, the back line, including net-minder Sarah Le Beau, have allowed just two goals through 27 shots by the opposition.
USC (16-4-2) reached the NCAA Quarterfinals by stringing together solid defensive performances in its three home matches. The Trojans have allowed just one goal in 290 minutes of play in wins over Eastern Washington, Texas A&M and Utah, respectively.
Auburn and USC have previously met in 2016 with the Trojans emerging victorious 2-0 at the Auburn Soccer Complex in early September. The winner of Friday's rematch will advance to the College Cup in San Jose, Calif. next weekend.
Player to Watch: Brooke Ramsier
Senior midfielder Brooke Ramsier is in the best form of her career entering a historical match for the Tigers. In her last seven matches, the Dallas, Texas native has tallied 16 points through five goals and six assists in her midfield role. Ramsier has notched at least one point in 11 of her last 12 matches played, including a string of seven consecutive entering Friday's NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal.
Road Warriors
The Tigers are 9-2 away from the Auburn Soccer Complex this season. In such matches, Auburn has outscored the opposition 28-15 and has secured a pair of shutouts. Away from home, Auburn is averaging 15.5 shots per contest and is allowing 12.2 shots per match.
Staggering Statistic
Three is the lucky number for the Auburn soccer program. Since head coach Karen Hoppa took over in 1999, the Tigers are an astounding 98-1 when scoring at least three goals in a match and have won their last 62 decisions.
Coaching Connection
USC head coach Keidane McAlpine used to toe the sidelines at the Auburn Soccer Complex as a member of Coach Hoppa's staff. McAlpine spent six years (2006-11) as an assistant at Auburn, helping the Tigers to NCAA appearances each season.
An Auburn Win Would...
A win by Auburn would advance the Tigers to the NCAA College Cup for the first time in program history and raise the school record for wins in a campaign to 18, a mark currently held by the 2016 squad.