AUBURN, Ala. – Freshman Anna Haddock struck a corner kick with less than 10 seconds on the clock and the ball deflected into the back of the net off an Ole Miss defender to give the Tigers the 1-0 win at the Auburn Soccer Complex Tuesday night.
Auburn's golden goal with three seconds remaining came following a 25-day hiatus since its season opener against Mississippi State on Sept. 18.
"We're just really proud of this team," head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We had been out for a while, but you couldn't tell from their performance. The overall performance was excellent. We had a lot of chances. I'm really proud of them to stick with it until the last seconds and come out with a really valuable three points at home."
Haddock raced toward the far corner after a shot was defended past the end line by Ole Miss with 22 seconds remaining and got off the left-footed corner with six seconds left. Just as fast as she tracked down the corner kick, her teammates came running toward her in celebration when it found the back of the net.
"It was a really hard-fought battle," Haddock said. "We've been waiting 25 days to play again. Today, we were going to come out and fight. We fought for 110 minutes. It really paid off to see that go in and end in a win for us."
Auburn started on the attack as Kori Locksley fired off the game's first shot just 16 seconds into the contest and stayed aggressive throughout, ultimately outshooting Ole Miss 16-6 and putting nine shots on frame to the Rebels' two.
Locksley led the way with a career-high six shots, including two on goal, while Sydney Richards and Haddock accounted for three shots apiece. All three of Haddock's attempts were on frame.
While the Tigers controlled the possession and stayed on the attack, the Auburn back line and freshman goalie Maddie Prohaska held the opponent scoreless in the run of play for the second straight double overtime contest to start the season.
"Always, and with a three back," Hoppa said of her excitement about the shutout. "M.E. Craven getting her first start coming back from surgery last year, Houchin being a leader back there, and then a 17-year-old freshman getting the first shutout of her career. We're really excited for the back line."
The back line kept Ole Miss in check for the majority of the match, but Prohaska made a tough, leaping save over the crossbar in the final stages of the first half to keep the contest scoreless.
Nineteen players saw action in Auburn's first action in 25 days, including three who played all 110 minutes and 11 who were on the field for 60 or more. Marissa Arias and Olivia Candelino made their Auburn debuts Tuesday night.
The Tigers (1-0-1) will travel to Athens, Georgia, to take on No. 12 Georgia (2-0-2) Sunday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Auburn defeats Ole Miss in final seconds of double overtime thriller
