AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn (11-5-1, 3-5-1 SEC) wraps up its regular season with a rivalry match against Alabama (8-7-3, 2-5-2 SEC) Thursday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Kickoff in the Iron Bowl of Soccer is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.
Auburn's four seniors – Ashton Brock, Sarah Le Beau, Gianna Montini and Taylor Troutman – will be recognized for their accomplishments during their careers on The Plains prior to the match.
The match will be broadcast on SEC Network with Jonathan Yardley and Jill Loyden on the call. The contest will also be available on radio at WEGL 91.1.
Admission to all Auburn soccer home games is free.
Promotions
Senior Night for Ashton Brock, Sarah Le Beau, Gianna Montini and Taylor Troutman
Chick-fil-A coupon giveaway
Starting XI
Auburn will advance to its 18th consecutive SEC Tournament with a win or tie Thursday. The team's 17 straight trips to the SEC Tournament are the second most in the conference.
The Tigers are 7-2-0 at home this season and have outscored opponents 29-8 at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
Thursday marks the 26th all-time meeting between Auburn and Alabama in the Iron Bowl of Soccer with the Tigers holding a 16-7-2 advantage in the series, including an 8-2-1 record against the Crimson Tide at home.
The Tigers have dominated the series of late, winning five straight and 10 of the last 11 meetings. Auburn has earned a result in 15 of the last 17 contests against Alabama.
Head coach Karen Hoppa earned her 300th career victory in a 1-0 win at Missouri last Sunday. She became the 28th coach to win 300+ matches at the Division I level and the eighth female to accomplish the feat.
Auburn has turned in nine shutouts this season, tied for the fourth most in a single-season in program history. Another shutout would mark just the second time since 2008 the team has turned in double-digit shutouts in a season (2014).
Goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau is the NCAA active career leader in goalkeeper minutes played and recently set the SEC record for consecutive starts by a goalkeeper at 84. She is also approaching the SEC record for starts by a goalkeeper, which currently stands at 87.
Auburn has posted a 52-25-7 (.677) overall record and 23-13-5 (.654) record in SEC play since the start of the 2015 season. The team ranks fourth in overall wins and tied for fourth in SEC wins during that time - trailing South Carolina, Florida and Texas A&M.
With 11 wins this season, Auburn has guaranteed itself a winning record, marking the team's 17th winning season in 20 years under Hoppa. It also marks the 15th double-digit win season under Hoppa.
Scouting Alabama
Alabama enters Thursday with an 8-7-3 overall record and 2-5-2 mark in SEC play. The Crimson Tide need a win to have any chance of making the SEC Tournament.
Casey Wertz leads the team in scoring with 16 points on eight goals, while Abbie Boswell is the Crimson Tide's top distributor with six assists and has added a trio of goals.
Defensively, Alex Plavin is Alabama's last line of defense in goal. She ranks third in the conference with 71 saves and has turned in six shutouts this season.
Player(s) to Watch: Senior Class
The Auburn soccer senior class - Ashton Brock, Sarah Le Beau, Gianna Montini and Taylor Troutman - have accounted for 52 career wins and three consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament - including the first Sweet 16 appearance in 2015 and first Elite 8 appearance the following year - in their careers on The Plains.
Tigers Take on Crimson Tide on Senior Night
