The No. 21 Auburn soccer team allowed a pair of goals off of corners kicks for the first time all season and fell at South Carolina, 3-1, on Sunday afternoon. The loss dropped Auburn’s record to 9-4-1, 3-3-0 SEC while South Carolina improved to 10-5-0, 4-2-0 SEC.

 

“We made a couple of big mistakes in the first half. They played great corners in but we made big mistakes on them,” Auburn Head Coach Karen Hoppa said. “We had a big miscommunication on the first one and dug ourselves a hole that we couldn’t dig ourselves out of, unfortunately.”

 

South Carolina, which finished with 10 corners to just three for Auburn, converted on its third corner kick of the match to take a 1-0 lead in the 27^th minute. Awarded the corner after Auburn inadvertently headed the ball over its own end line, Ali Whitney served in a low kick that Maria Petroni got just enough of a touch on to slide it into the back of the net for her fourth goal of the season.

 

South Carolina’s fifth corner of the game resulted in its second goal and ultimately a 2-0 halftime lead with Gabrielle Gilbert one-touching in her third goal of the season in the 40^th minute. Kayla Grimsley served in the corner, which both Ellen Fahey and Gilbert got a touch on, with Gilbert’s shot going just under the crossbar for the 2-0 lead.

 

Auburn wasted little time out of the break to draw within a goal, 2-1, as Katy Frierson served a ball 20 yards over the South Carolina defense to Julie King, who beat South Carolina goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo for her fourth goal of the year just 17 seconds out of the break. King had initially misplayed the service as she and D’Angelo both tried to make a play on the ball just inside the 18 but neither controlled it, allowing King to slide behind the out-of-position D’Angelo and put in the easy score.

 

South Carolina retook a two-goal lead, 3-1, in the 66^th minute when Danielle Au slotted one just over the line and inside the far post for her fifth goal of the season. Gilbert was again in on the score, finding Au.

 

Amy Howard finished the match with six saves on 18 South Carolina shots while D’Angelo had seven saves on 15 Auburn shots.

 

Auburn returns home for its next three matches, beginning Friday night at 7pm CT against No. 25 LSU.

 

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