AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn turned in a shutout and scored a goal in the last 20 minutes of each half to defeat LSU, 2-0, Thursday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
Alyssa Malonson and Kori Locksley accounted for the scoring in the contest, while Bri Folds, Jessie Gerow and Caroline Peterson also got on the scoresheet with an assist apiece.
"It was a great result here at home and a great response to the Ole Miss game," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "Being more effective in the final third was a goal for us and the girls did that today."
Malonson's goal was the first of her Auburn career, while Locksley found the back of the net for the second straight contest on The Plains.
On the other end, goalkeeper Kate Hart and the defensive unit turned in the sixth shutout of the season and the team's second of Southeastern Conference play.
"The effort was awesome," Hart said. "We're just trying to build of working together and defending together. I think we did that really well today. It was a great team effort to turn in that shutout."
After chances were rare to come by to start the evening, Malonson got Auburn on the scoreboard at the 30:00 mark. The junior defender hit a right-footed bender from just outside the top of the 18-yard box that deflected off a LSU defender but carried into the back of the net.
The Tigers (6-4-2, 3-1-0 SEC) preserved a 1-0 lead to start the second half thanks to a pair of saves from Hart, both coming in one-on-one situations. The grad transfer made a diving save to her left on a ball toward the far post in the 56th minute before blocking up a defender at the top of the box 10 minutes later.
"Those were maybe her best saves of her Auburn career so far," Hoppa said of Hart. "She's been working on those one-on-one situations and has been getting better on them throughout the year. For her to make those big-time saves was the difference in the game."
With LSU looking for the equalizer and after hitting the post and crossbar in the minutes leading up, Locksley converted her second goal of the season and her career. The redshirt sophomore midfielder beat her defender in a one-on-one situation and put a shot off the right foot past a diving goalkeeper and inside the far left post.
"I'm just glad I could get that goal and put us up at a more comfortable lead," Locksley said. "I felt good. I kept saying to myself, 'I can't keep hitting the post.' I have to get something out of this, so I'm just glad I got the finish."
Eighteen Tigers saw action in match, including four who played all 90 minutes.
Auburn ultimately outshot LSU, 10-6 in the contest and fired off seven shots in the final 45 minutes.
Auburn has the rest of the weekend off before the Tigers travel to take on Mississippi State (6-4-1, 1-1-1 SEC) in Starkville, Mississippi Thursday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.