AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn soccer (4-3-4, 0-3) is back home Friday, Sept. 30 as the Tigers host Vanderbilt (8-1-1, 2-1) for another conference battle.
 
First kick at the Auburn Soccer Complex is slated for 5 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast via SECNetwork+ with Mackenzie Hamilton and J.J. Jackson on the call.
 
"This matchup will be fun because it's a team we haven't played in a while," Tigers head coach Karen Hoppa said. "We expect Vanderbilt to be a very good possession team and to be really dangerous on attacks, so it's a good thing our defense has been playing so well. Our offense just has to find a way to get behind their backs and create some strong goal-scoring opportunities."
 
Auburn leads the all-time series versus the Commodores 10-8-4, including a 6-4 clip when playing at home. Both teams last met in the fall of 2018, when Vanderbilt secured the 3-0 win in Auburn.
 
Following a grueling three-game stretch to open league play, the Tigers are looking to capitalize and seize their first SEC victory against the Commodores.
 
The Orange & Blue defense has been nothing but steady all season long and looks to continue to provide clutch stops against a powerful Vanderbilt attack that ranks third in the conference in goals per game.
 
Anchoring the back line for Auburn has been the foursome of M.E. Craven, Hailey Whitaker, Madeline Moore and Hayden Colson. Combined with Tigers keeper Maddie Prohaska, the group has yet to concede multiple goals in a single game this season. With a 0.57 GAA, Prohaska is also chasing the single-season record of 0.68 set by Megan Rivera in 2003.
 
On the offensive end of the ball in league play, Auburn's main suspects have been the trio of Anna Haddock, Carly Thatcher and Syndie Thibodaux. Haddock leads the squad in shots taken (5), while Thatcher and Thibodaux have shown the best accuracy, placing two-thirds of their shots on target.
 
Led by head coach Darren Ambrose, the Commodores march onto The Plains with a 2-1 record in conference matchups and a 4-0 record in road games. So far, Vanderbilt has bested Kentucky and Missouri 2-0 and has fallen to LSU 2-1.
 
Defensively, Vanderbilt has issued shutouts in eight of its 10 matchups. Keepers Kate Devine and Sara Wojdelko have split duties in the net.
 
Commodore midfielder Raegan Kelley leads the attack with five goals and eight assists so far this season. As a team, Vanderbilt has scored 26 total goals.  
 
Next up on the Auburn schedule is a road matchup versus Kentucky. The Tigers and Wildcats will do battle Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. CT.