Auburn football plays Georgia, ends in a 2-2 draw

AUBURN, AL. (EETV) – No. 13 Auburn took on Georgia Thursday night at the Auburn Football Complex in an “All Auburn, All Orange” game.

Georgia got off to a strong start with midfielder Nicole Vernice scoring just one minute and 46 seconds into the game. It was the first goal the Auburn defense had allowed against the Bulldogs in the regular season since 2016. However, Auburn responded quickly, tying the game eleven minutes later when senior Anna Haddock found the net with help from Shelby Salley and Becky Contreras. Auburn is 17-2-1 all-time when Haddock puts the ball in the back of the net herself, making her early goal a positive sign for the Tigers.

Now that the score was tied 1:1, the tension was high. Shortly after Auburn’s goal, the Bulldogs threatened again with a hit from Hannah White, but the Tigers’ save kept the score level. Both defenses put in a strong effort and no further goals were scored for the rest of the first half.

In the second half there was a draw, the score was 1-1.

The second half started slowly but remained competitive. Auburn managed to start with two shots compared to Georgia’s only shot. Despite the slow start of the attack from both teams, the intensity of the game remained high. With 20 minutes left in the game, Auburn was awarded a penalty kick. Fifth-year Mallory Mooney took advantage of the opportunity, scoring Auburn’s second and final goal of the night.

As time began to run out, Georgia stepped up its offensive efforts, firing three more shots. Auburn was strong and continued to play great defense, preventing Georgia from scoring. Until the last minute, it seemed that all the momentum was on Tiger’s side. Georgia continued to fight, and with just 25 seconds left in the game, Nicole Vernice scored the game-tying goal again. In such a short time, Auburn was unable to score again. The match ended in a draw 2:2.

The tie means Auburn finishes the regular season undefeated at home (9-0-3) for only the third time in program history.

The Tigers will look to end the regular season on a high note as they travel to take on No. 22 South Carolina on Oct. 27. This game will air at 3:00 PM CT on SEC Network and ESPN+.