TUSCALOOSA - Rebecca Howell scored for the third consecutive game, leading Auburn to a 2-0 win over Alabama in the annual Iron Bowl of Soccer on Friday night.
The victory was the fourth straight for Auburn (9-7-3, 6-5-0 SEC) over Alabama (6-10-1, 2-7-1 SEC).
“It is a good quality result for us," Auburn coach Karen Hoppa said. "It wasn’t the prettiest of games and we didn’t always play great, but we did enough to get the job done. It’s never easy in Tuscaloosa, so we’re always happy to come out of here with the win.”
Howell scored her fourth goal in the last three games in the 23rd minute, converting her own rebound to give Auburn a 1-0 lead.
Howell’s goal was the 22nd of her career, which ties her with Tiffany Smith (1993-96) and Chrissy Culver (2001-04) for fifth all-time in Auburn history. It was also the 65th point of her career, which ties her with Kristen Schier (1994-97) for sixth in Auburn history.
Katy Frierson made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when she launched a shot from 35 yards out over the Alabama defense.
Auburn goalkeeper Amy Howard was tested 14 minutes into the match as she made spectacular diving save on a Grace Lawson shot, diving to her right to knock it outside the post. The freshman finished with five saves on the night, giving her 106 for the season, which is second all-time for a single season and sixth for a career in the Auburn record books. She also earned her fifth shutout of the season.
The win clinched the No. 6 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament for Auburn and eliminated Alabama from tournament contention. Auburn will play at 2:30pm CT on Wednesday at the Orange Beach Soccer Complex but will not know who it will face until after the Alabama-Ole Miss match on Sunday in Oxford, Miss. An Ole Miss win on Sunday would give the Rebels the third seed, while a loss or a tie would put South Carolina into the third spot.
