A header late in the first half by freshman Charlotte Van Ishoven was the only goal the Auburn soccer team needed Friday afternoon as the Tiger defense stepped up huge with a 1-0 season-opening victory over UC-Irvine at Anteater Stadium.
“I was impressed with Irvine,” Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. “We played them last year and they’re a much improved team. For us, it was a great win. Anytime you can win on the road and grind out the result, I’m really proud of our team. It’s a great start.”
Led by senior center back Kala Faulkner, the Auburn defense was essentially a brick wall in limiting UC Irvine to just one shot on goal, four shots in total. That one shot coming inside the box in the 68th minute, but tipped away beautifully by an outstretched Sarah Le Beau.
The shutout was Le Beau’s first of her career as it was also her first collegiate action after redshirting a year ago.
“Defense was unbelievable today,” Le Beau said. “Kala (Faulkner) and Kiana (Clarke) really sorted out things that I couldn’t control from where I was. When the ball was played big, they always made sure they were dropping in and covering one another.”
Not enough could be said about the Auburn defense as it seemed every time UC-Irvine got into the attacking zone, an Auburn defender was there to clear the ball away.
“I think we were just trying to build off that Mercer exhibition from last week,” Faulkner said. “Defensively, we just wanted to get better for the season-opener. As a unit, we just wanted to be on the same page stepping and dropping. We were able to come together because we know each other’s tendencies so well. It showed in the game today.”
As good as the defense was, a goal still needed to be made to give Auburn the victory and it got that in the form of Van Ishoven in the final minute of the first half. With time ticking away, it seemed that both teams were headed to the locker room locked at zeroes. But a free kick near midfield by Faulkner was placed perfectly in the middle of the box where it was deflected into the vicinity of Van Ishoven on the left side.
The Belgian headed the ball over the out of position keeper and into the side netting to give Auburn the 1-0 lead. Auburn totaled eight shots in the contest Friday, five on target to continuing its strong offensive play from the exhibition series last week.
Post-game Quotes
“I thought our center backs were the key to our game. I thought Kala (Faulkner) and Kiana Clarke were big time. They were 2v2 a ton today and never gave up a breakaway or a dangerous chance. They played together and were the MVP’s of this game. – Head coach Karen Hoppa
“Sarah getting her first start after earning it in the preseason. To get a shutout in your first start is great and you can’t ask any more than that. The tip over she had was big time because it was a game where she wasn’t going to have a lot of saves. When her number was called, she came up big and secured the win for us.” – Head coach Karen Hoppa
“The people that aren’t starting, it’s their job to come in and impact the game. Charlotte (Van Ishoven) did that today. She didn’t get a ton of minutes, but the one chance she had, she executed perfectly and made sure it was on frame and came up with her first college goal of her first college game.” – Head coach Karen Hoppa
“As a defense, you want to make the keeper have to make as few saves as possible. Seeing Sarah (Le Beau) when her name was called, she was focused, she was on. The one time she needed to make the save, she made the save.” – Senior defender Kala Faulkner
“Right when it came off her foot, I saw she was going high. I just took a drop step and got the top hand up and tipped it over the bar. It felt good.” – Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sarah Le Beau
Turning Point
Auburn had already taken the 1-0 lead over UC-Irvine after the header goal in the 45th minute by Charlotte Van Ishoven, but the Anteaters were pressuring hard in the attacking zone midway through the second half. A shot in the middle of the box in the 68th minute by Alex Karlowitsch seemed like it was going to go through the top shelf of the goal and equalize the game, but a huge jump and tip with the outstretched arm by Sarah Le Beau knocking the ball over the crossbar keeping the shutout intact. It was the only shot on goal by UC Irvine in the match.
Inside the Box Score
-Redshirt freshman Sarah Le Beau locked up her first clean sheet of her collegiate career in her first career start, making one save on four Anteater shots.
-Auburn tallied four shots in each half Friday afternoon, five making on target yielding one goal.
-Charlotte Van Ishoven only played two minutes in Friday’s match, but made her playing time count as it was her header that was the game-winning goal for Auburn in the 45th minute.
-Along with Le Beau, Kiana Clarke, Kala Faulkner, Samantha Solaru, Brooke Ramsier and Casie Ramsier all played the full 90 minutes today.
-Kala Faulkner notched her first assist of the season on a long free kick from midfield that found the middle of the box before it was deflected to Van Ishoven on the left side for the finish. Faulkner now has seven assists in her Auburn career.
-Sophomore Ellie Leek finished with a team-high three shots Friday, all on goal.
-Auburn won the corner kick battle in the game, 5-2, four of the set pieces coming in the second half.
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