Alabama
Auburn
Tide Seniors Go Out Winners Over Rival Auburn, 6-3
10/28/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
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Box Score
The Alabama (8-8-2, 2-7-2) soccer team sent its seniors out Friday night in style with a 6-3 win over the Auburn Tigers (6-11-1, 5-6) to claim the 2005 Iron Bowl of Soccer.
Seniors Libby Probst and Kylie Boyd each scored goals to lift the Tide to the win in the final game of their careers.
"It's been a hard season with all the injuries," Alabama head coach Don Staley said, "but tonight the team came out and played for their seniors."
Probst scored Alabama's first two goals of the night and picked up her third game-winning goal of the season. She closes her Alabama career as the school's most prolific scorer with 33 goals, 19 assists and 84 points.
Probst gave the Tide the early lead at 11:06 when she headed in a deflection from Boyd off a corner kick. Auburn tied the score 7:00 later, but Probst broke the tie and put Alabama in front for good with her second goal of the game at 34:56 when she one-timed a pass from Annie B. Collins into the top of the net from 12 yards out.
"I just saw the ball coming and it was right in front of me so I decided to go for it," Probst said. "This is a team sport and this team has some heart. We bounced back after these injuries and won a big game."
The scoring for Alabama wasn't even close to being over though. Natalie Kohn would add a goal before the end of the half off an assist from Senior Cally Morrill and the Tide led 3-1 at the half.
Just minutes into the second half, Alabama lit up the scoreboard twice more when Boyd connected on a shot from 18 yards out and Susie Beard intercepted a pass at the 18 yard-line and fired a shot that cleared the reach of Auburn keeper Anna Fiser. Collins then stretched the led to 6-1 at 57:28 when she cleaned up a rebound of a Boyd shot in front of the net.
Alabama's six goals on the night ties a school record for most goals scored in an SEC match. The only other time Alabama scored six in a conference game came on October 20, 1996 in a 6-2 win over LSU.
"You talk about integrity, class, and commitment to excellence on and off the field and that describes our senior class," Staley said.
Auburn would draw a little closer as time wound down, but the Tide's defense held strong and sealed the win.
Alabama out-shot its rival 22-15 on the night and had 12 shots-on-goal compared to the Tigers seven. Alabama's seniors accounted for 3 goals and 3 assists on the night.
The win evens the all-time series with Auburn up at 6-6-2.
