AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn hits the road for the first time in three weeks as the Tigers open Southeastern Conference play at Kentucky Thursday. Kickoff in Lexington, Kentucky, is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
Thursday's match marks the first of three nationally televised contests for the Tigers and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Starting XI
Auburn dropped its first regular season non-conference home game since 2016 in a 2-0 loss to Southern Miss last Friday. The Tigers then battled Samford to a 3-3 draw last Sunday.
Auburn is 11-13-2 all-time in SEC openers, including 10-8-2 in league openers under head coach Karen Hoppa.
The Tigers have won each of the last three SEC openers and have earned a result in the team's last three road openers in league play (1-0-2).
The Tigers haven't allowed a goal in a game they have won this season. The team has outscored its opponents 9-0 and have outshot the opponent 62-22 in wins.
Auburn has turned in 12 shutouts in 27 contests since the start of last season, including three shutouts this year.
Senior midfielder Bri Folds and freshman midfielder Sydney Richards have accounted for eight of the team's last 10 goals dating back to the matchup with Maryland on Aug. 30.
Folds matched a program record with a goal in four straight matches From Aug. 30-Sept. 8, while Richards became the first Auburn freshman to record a brace since 2011 with a pair of goals vs. Troy on Sept. 8.
Thursday marks the 26th all-time meeting between Auburn and Kentucky with the series currently tied, 11-11-3. The Tigers have won three straight matches in the series and have earned a result in three of the last five contests in Lexington.
Each of the last six meetings between the Tigers and Wildcats in Lexington have been decided by a goal or resulted in a draw. Additionally, six of the last seven meetings in the series have been decided by a goal.
Auburn has ultimately made 18 consecutive SEC Tournament appearances, marking the second-longest streak in the conference.
Scouting Kentucky
Kentucky enters the start of SEC play with a 5-1-2 overall record, already matching the team's win total from a season ago.
After back-to-back draws to start the season, the Wildcats rattled off five straight wins, four of which were shutouts, before dropping the latest contest to Indiana.
A pair of freshmen in Hannah Richardson and Jordyn Rhoades lead the team with five and four goals, respectively, while Stephanie Stull has been the Wildcats' mainstay in goal.
Player to Watch: Bri Folds
Folds leads the team and ranks tied for third in the conference with five goals this season. All five of Folds' goals have come in the last six contests, and she tied a program record with a goal in four straight matches from Aug.30-Sept. 8. The Lakeland, Florida, native continues to climb a number of career record lists, ranking in the top 10 in program history in goals (23), assists (24), points (70) and game-winning goals (nine).