The Gator Soccer Team Will Face Auburn in SEC Showdown

Thursday night, the Florida Gator soccer team (6-2, 1-1 SEC) will take on Auburn at home. Non-conference play is over, so now Florida will only face SEC teams for the rest of the regular season. Sophomore Mayra Pelayo said that playing in SEC matches is the most exciting part of the season.

Florida is coming off of a win against UCF last Sunday night, the first home game for the Gators in a month. After going up two goals to none, the Knights came back to tie it up late in the match. In the 88th minute of play, Samantha Chung scored her first collegiate goal to give Florida the victory.

Out of the eight games Florida has played this year, five of them have resulted in a one-goal difference, including three that have gone into overtime. Senior Meggie Dougherty Howard, who has three goals in five games this season, said that the team has continued to fight hard in every game they play.

Weather is always unpredictable, but 100% chance of Thunder(sticks) at Thursday's match vs Auburn!
6pmET at Pressly Stadium.#GoGators pic.twitter.com/e9Aj40ZKxw

— Gator Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) September 20, 2016

Auburn, however, has been tough competition in the past for the Gators. Last season, they split their meetings with each team winning a game against the other. This year the Tigers are struggling, going 5-4 so far this season and 1-1 in SEC play. Their most recent match was a loss to South Carolina in a close game in which the Gamecocks won 1-0. Auburn is led by junior forward Kristen Dodson, who leads the team with nine points from three goals and three assists.

The matchup between Florida and Auburn is set for Thursday night at 6 p.m. in Gainesville at James G. Pressly Stadium.