AUBURN, Ala. — For the third-straight conference match, Auburn soccer lines up with a ranked opponent as the Tigers host No. 6 Arkansas Sunday, Oct. 8 at the Auburn Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.
"Arkansas is obviously tremendously strong at what they do," Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. "They've got a different style of play than most teams we'll face, but it's no secret. We know what we need to do on Sunday. If we can stick to our game plan and play strong, Auburn soccer for every bit of 90 minutes, there is no team out there we cannot beat."
Both squads are fighting for the series lead Sunday as it is currently tied at 15-15-2 all-time. Auburn holds the 10-4 advantage when meeting on The Plains but has struggled as of late and has not toppled the Razorbacks since 2016.
The Tigers enter the match hungry for a statement win after a pair of narrow, 2-1 losses to No. 15 South Carolina and at No. 19 Alabama in their two previous outings. In both matches, Auburn found its offensive spark from the bench as junior Sydnie Thibodaux scored in the 81st minute against the Gamecocks and redshirt-freshman Dylan Driver delivered a goal in the 37th minute at Alabama. Auburn created a combined 18 shots, eight on frame, versus the two ranked foes.
An Orange & Blue win over Arkansas not only would match the program's SEC win total from last season, but it would also be the Tigers' first victory against a top-10 team since Oct. 15, 2017, when they took down No. 10 Florida by a score of 1-0.
Defending home territory will be no easy feat though as Arkansas leads the league with 15 points on a perfect 5-0-0 SEC record. Overall, the Razorbacks are 9-2-1 but have taken both losses in road matches.
Auburn needs to shut down the opposing offense in order to secure the upset. The Hogs have netted 31 goals on the season and lead the conference, averaging 2.75 per game. Graduate students Bea Franklin and Morgan White have ignited their attack with five and six goals scored, respectively.
Last season, Auburn made the trip to Fayetteville and fell 1-0 on a 55th-minute goal scored by Arkansas' de Filippo. The Tigers return 11 women who saw time in last year's matchup, seven of whom earned the starting nod.
For Sunday's battle, Auburn soccer is giving away bucket hats to the first 250 fans in attendance. Following the match, Auburn's next test will be Friday, Oct. 13 at 6:30 p.m. CT as Texas A&M is set to visit The Plains. The match will be this year's Military Appreciation Night.