Tigers Continue Undefeated Spring with 3-1 Win over Lazers

March 14, 2005

AUBURN -- AUBURN -- The Auburn soccer team finished the home part of its spring schedule Sunday with a 3-1 victory over the ’88 Peachtree City Lazers keeping the Tigers undefeated this spring. 

Just 7:10 into the first half, the Tigers got on the board. Ronda Brooks found the end of a corner kick served in by Jenny Zarzour to put Auburn up 1-0. Brooks got her body behind the ball and put it past Lazers goalkeeper Jenny Ross.

Only 7:01 later, Kristin Stewart found the net again for the Tigers. Jessie Allan took a pass from Jac Schwarz and found Stewart behind her defenders on a through ball inside the box. Stewart took an early shot and found the back of the net on a one-vs.-one with Ross.

The Tigers kept up the pressure in the first half, finishing with nine shots and three corners, while the Lazers had just one shot.

The Auburn pressure didn’t stop after the first half. On their first play of the second half, the Tigers played Stewart deep in the corner, who beat her defender to earn a shot on goal with only 15 seconds off the clock.

Courtney Crandell notched another shot for the Tigers when she faced Ross in a one-on-one play, but missed just wide.

In the 12th minute of the second half the Tigers capitalized again. A deflection off the Lazers directed the ball to Auburn’s Zarzour who played Crandell into another one-vs.-one situation with Ross. Crandell touched it past Ross into the net bringing the score to 3-0.

In the 22nd minute the Lazers had their own one-vs.-one play with Auburn keeper Anna Fiser and forward Katie Jacobsen. Jacobsen outran the Auburn defense and took an early shot, but Fiser cut off the angle and deflected the ball out of bounds.

The Tigers continued to press the Lazers midway through the half when Ashley Eason played Sara Power along the sideline. Power crossed the ball to the back post where Schwarz took a one-touch shot that missed just wide.

It was the Lazers who scored next, however. With 7:33 remaining in the game, Brittany Schneider collected a through ball near the sideline and crossed the ball along the ground to the back post. Stephanie Fransoso touched the ball into the side netting past Auburn goalkeeper Fiser.

The scoring would end there, but the opportunities for the Tigers would not. With only 4:40 remaining, Evelyn Keith crossed the ball to Stewart’s feet inside the 6-yard box. With the keeper out of position Stewart turned and shot, but was deflected by the Lazers’ defense. 

Auburn dominated the game with 24 shots and five corners, while holding Peachtree City to only seven shots and one corner. 

“One of the things we need to work on before we get into the regular season is our finishing percentage. We created a lot of good chances tonight, but we need to finish more of them,” head coach Karen Hoppa said.

The Tigers have earned a 3-0-1 record for the first half of the spring season allowing only two goals.

“We’re very optimistic about the fall season. The trend for us has been that if we have a good spring, we have a good fall,” said Hoppa.

The Tigers will next play March 19th in Huntsville where they will take on Michigan and the Region III ODP Team.