Soccer Wraps Up Regular Season at Rival Auburn
10/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Oct. 28, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama soccer team (8-7-2, 3-5-2 SEC) will put its postseason hopes on the line as it will face rival Auburn (10-6-2, 4-4-2 SEC). The two teams will meet in the regular season finale on Friday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Soccer Complex.
LAST TIME OUT
Alabama dropped its fifth straight match as it fell 1-0 in double overtime to Tennessee in Knoxville on Sunday. The two teams played an even match for over 90 minutes until the Lady Vols fired off four shots in the final overtime period and connected on an Emily Dowd finish to earn the win. Tide goalkeeper Justine Bernier recorded four saves while freshman Kendall Khanna led Alabama with three shots.
WHO TO WATCH
Alabama freshman Molly Atherton enters the contest against rival Auburn as one of only seven players to start in every match this season. The rookie ranks fourth on the team in minutes played with 1,416, leading all Tide freshmen. On the season the newcomer has recorded two assists and leads the team with 40 shots, putting 17 on frame.
SCOUTING AUBURN
The Tigers enter the weekend, coming off a 2-1 victory against No. 20 Georgia in Athens. The win is the third against a ranked opponent for the Bulldogs this season. As a team, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 30-21 and outshot the opposition 147-87. Individually, Katy Frierson leads the team with 24 points on seven goals and 10 assists. Mary Coffed closely follows with 15 points on three goals and nine assists while Ashley Marks also posts double digits in points with 11 on four goals and three assists. In goal, Amy Howard has played every minute, posting a 1.12 goals against average and tallied 64 saves. Howard has added five shutouts and allowed 21 goals in 1,684 minutes played. Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa enters her 12th season at the helm. She helped lead the Tigers to a 10-9-3 record in 2009 and a first round exit in the NCAA tournament.
SERIES HISTORY
The two in-state rivals will be meeting for the 19th time as Auburn holds a 10-6-2 all-time advantage. The Tigers have won the last four meetings overall and hold a 5-2-1 advantage in Auburn. The two teams last met on the plains in 2008, where the Tigers earned a 4-0 victory. The two programs met last season on Oct. 30, in Tuscaloosa, with Auburn earning a 2-0 win.
WESTERN DIVISION WATCH
Alabama is currently in the fourth spot in the SEC Western Division standings with 11 points but trails leader Auburn by just three points. LSU and Mississippi sit in the third and fourth spots, respectively with identical totals of 12 points. The Tide needs some help to earn the division title as a win by either LSU or Mississippi will hand them the championship. If Alabama were to beat Auburn and LSU and Mississippi were to lose the title would belong to the Tide.
RACE TO ORANGE BEACH
Alabama is currently on the outside looking in, in the race to earn a spot to Orange Beach. The Tide resides in the 10th spot, tied with Kentucky with 11 points. The Wildcats hold a head-to-head win over the Tide and sport a slight advantage in goal differential. Mississippi and LSU round out the bottom two as Auburn holds down the sixth spot. Numerous scenarios exist for the Tide to make the SEC tournament. A win over Auburn would give Alabama its best chance but does not guarantee a bid. Alabama will be watching closely as Vanderbilt plays Kentucky, LSU hosts Arkansas and Mississippi faces Mississippi State. Head-to-head competition serves as the first tie breaker and then conference goal differential and goals scored follow. There is a possibility of a coin flip as it serves as the fourth tie breaker. There is a scenario of four teams tied with 14 points with only two spots open.
RECORD WATCH
Alabama senior Victoria Frederick enters the weekend with her eye on a couple records. She enters Friday's contest with 15 career assists, which ranks third in the Alabama annals. She trails the nine by Jennifer Carle and the 10 by Ashley Kirkland. She also enters the match with six assists this season, which ranks tied for second in the single season annals, one behind the record of seven held by five different players.
WHERE THEY STACK UP
Several Alabama players rank individually in the conference in numerous statistical categories. In all games played Brooke Rogers ranks fourth in goals (7) and fifth in goals per game (0.44). Victoria Frederick ranks seventh in assists (6) and assists per game (0.35). Goalkeeper Justine Bernier checks in at third in save percentage with a .839 mark while ranking fifth in goals against average (1.03) and fifth in shutouts per game (0.38). During conference games only, Frederick is second in the league in assists (5) and assists per game (0.50). Bernier is fifth in shutouts with three and ranks fifth in save percentage (.819) and sixth in shutouts per game (0.30).
NEXT TIME OUT
If Alabama were to earn a trip to Orange Beach, the opening round of the SEC Tournament would begin on Wednesday, Nov. 3. The semifinals are set for Friday, Nov. 5, with the finals set for Sunday, Nov. 7. The finals will air on ESPNU.
