Aug. 26, 2017 No. 20 Auburn vs. North Dakota
(1-1-0, 2017 RECORD) vs. (2-1-0, 2017 RECORD)
Match
| Sunday, Aug. 27 | 6 p.m. | |
| Auburn vs. North Dakota | ||
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" The No. 20 Auburn soccer team is prepared to take on a new opponent in North Dakota Sunday evening. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
Andy Burcham and Mac Matthews will have the call from the broadcast booth on SEC Network+. The fixture will also be available on radio at WEGL 91.1.
The match marks the first-ever Pups at the Pitch promotion in conjunction with Paws & Claws. For more information, please email markets@auburn.edu or call 334-844-9706.
Promotions
Pups at Pitch
Bag Tag Giveaway
Schedule Magnet Giveaway
Shaker Giveaway
Poster Giveaway
Starting XI
No. 20 Auburn returns home for a non-conference bout with North Dakota on The Plains.
The Tigers and Fighting Hawks will meet for the first time in series history. Auburn holds a perfect 3-0-0 record against teams in the Big Sky Conference, picking up two victories against Portland State and one versus Sacramento State in its history.
In the three seasons when facing an opponent from the Big Sky, the Tigers have amassed 28 wins: 11 in 1997 and 2006, and six in 1999 (head coach Karen Hoppa's first season in charge of the program).
Since 1999, Auburn is 5-1-0 when playing at home on a Sunday following a road fixture the previous Friday night, including 4-0 over non-conference foes.
Auburn was picked to finish sixth by the SEC coaches in the annual preseason poll. The Tigers trail Florida, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Missouri and Arkansas in the poll.
Seniors Kristen Dodson and Courtney Schell were joined by junior Sarah Le Beau and sophomore Bri Folds as honorees on the SEC Preseason Watch List.
Auburn is 33-14-4 all-time in the month of August. In that span, the Tigers have outscored the opposition 106-46 and average 2.1 goals per game.
The Tigers boast 19 underclassmen on their roster this season, including 12 freshmen. In contrast, Auburn touts 10 upperclassmen with six seniors leading the charge.
Auburn set a program record with 17 wins a season ago and reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the first time in team history.
Head coach Karen Hoppa has coached 15 winning seasons at Auburn with nine of them being 12-win seasons.
Senior midfielder Courtney Schell and junior goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau were voted the team captains and will wear the "C" armbands throughout the season.
Player to Watch: Caroline Bado
Graduate transfer Caroline Bado has asserted herself as a leader at the heart of the Auburn defense in her first campaign on The Plains. The former UCF product has also been a force in regular season non-conference matches. Bado's back line has allowed only 22 goals in 27 matches played against non-league foes during her career, including the opening three matches in an Auburn kit.
Approaching 150-plus Wins
The Auburn Soccer Complex has hosted a bevy of victories, 149 in fact, in its existence. That mark currently sits in third in the nation for home victories in the same stadium. The Tigers trail only Stanford (275) and Rutgers (163) for most victories inside one stadium.