AUBURN, Ala. — From the first to final whistle, Auburn soccer dominated its match against Southern Miss (0-3-0) as the Tigers (1-1-1) bagged three goals in a 29-shot effort to seal the first win on The Plains for head coach James Armstrong Thursday night at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
“This means the world to me,” Armstrong said. “We put our best performance in tonight. To get the result is a sign of the hard work the girls and staff have put in. It feels really, really good to get that first win under our belt.”
Junior Olivia Woodson earned the fifth brace of her career with goals in minutes 15 and 63, while sophomore Layla Sirdah secured her first goal as a Tiger from a penalty kick in the 76th minute.
“It was exhilarating to finally get some goals,” Woodson said. “Creating more opportunities and finishing them felt great tonight.”
“It felt nice to put a third one in the back of the net,” Sirdah said. “It’s my first one here at Auburn, so it feels amazing. This is just the beginning. We have a lot to work on, but I am excited for what’s to come.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Auburn found its first in minute 15 thanks to a great counter press from junior Dylan Driver, who intercepted a Golden Eagle pass high up the field and threaded a nice assist through to Woodson, who used her left foot to finish across her body and tuck her shot inside the far post.
In the 63rd minute, senior Erin Houston played a nice through ball to Driver, who made an endline run and cut back to Woodson, who then finished with the outside of her right foot on the first touch.
Senior Shelby Sallee drew Auburn’s first penalty kick with a crafty run in the 76th minute. Sirdah stepped up to the spot and buried Auburn’s third goal with power inside the right upper 90.
AUBURN NOTABLES
Woodson turned in the fifth two-goal effort of her career. She is the first Auburn woman with five braces since Kristen Dodson in 2017.
Driver dished out a pair of assists in the victory. It was the fourth double-assist match of her career and her first since earning two against LSU in October of last season. Houston also earned her fourth career assist in the win.
The Orange & Blue backline denied Southern Miss any hope of a goal as it held the Golden Eagles’ offense shotless and without a corner kick. It’s the first time since 2021 (Alabama A&M) that Auburn conceded zero shots in a match.
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State comes to town for a 2 p.m. CT kickoff on Sunday, Aug. 24. It will be Senior Day at the Auburn Soccer Complex.