Courtesy: Auburn University Athletic Department
       
AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn soccer team will play host to No. 18 LSU and Arkansas this weekend at the Auburn Soccer Complex in a pair of key SEC West matches. Auburn goes into the weekend 9-4-1, 3-3-0 SEC and in a tie for sixth in the overall SEC standings while LSU is atop the league at 10-4-1, 5-1-0 SEC and Arkansas (4-9-0, 2-4-0 SEC) is just three points behind Auburn in the race for the eight-team SEC Tournament. Game times are set for 7pm on Friday and 2pm on Sunday.

“LSU is one of the best teams in the league,” Auburn Head Coach Karen Hoppa said. “They have been our most recent competition for the SEC West title; the last five years it has been an Auburn-LSU battle. We will definitely have the approach that we are battling for the West crown on Friday night.”

Either Auburn or LSU has claimed the SEC Western division title in every season since the 2006 campaign, with Auburn taking the outright division crown in 2006 and 2010 and splitting it with LSU in 2008.

Auburn leads the all-time series with LSU, 10-8-1, but has not claimed a victory over its SEC West rival since the 2007 regular season meeting. Since then Auburn has gone 0-4-1, with two meetings coming in the SEC Tournament. However, Auburn is 7-1-0 all-time when the game is played at Auburn.

Auburn leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 11-5-2, and is undefeated in the last 10 meetings (9-0-1). Auburn also holds a 7-1-0 advantage when the game is played at Auburn.
“Arkansas is a tough team to play. They attack very well. They send a lot of numbers forward and they are really committed to the attack,” Hoppa said.

Sunday’s match is the annual ‘Power In Pink’ match and fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match to support Breast Cancer Awareness month. There will be a silent auction for three game-used pink soccer balls during the match as well as another two in an on-line auction, with all proceeds going to the EAMC Foundation Breast Cancer Fund.