| NEWS Alabama Soccer Notches Perfect SEC Campaign with Win Over Auburn

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~The Crimson Tide won the SEC’s Western Division for the first time in 24 years.


STARKVILLE, Miss. – The No. 3/1 Alabama soccer team (15-1-1, 8-0-0 SEC) cliched the SEC's Western Division on Thursday with a 4-1 victory over Mississippi State (10-3-3, 4-3-1 SEC). The road win was the Tide's 11th straight, a program record for most consecutive victories in a season, while also topping the program mark for most wins in a single campaign with 15 on the year.

From Head Coach Wes Hart

"What a wonderful performance tonight against a very scrappy and physical Mississippi State team. It was important that we matched their intensity and physicality, but we did a poor job in the first half of playing our game. The biggest difference in the second half was that we connected passes and played with a lot more patience. Once we did that, the game opened up and got much easier for us. Winning the Western Division is an incredible accomplishment, but we are not satisfied. We know there is more in us. We have our sights set on bigger things."



How It Happened

  • Gianna Paul opened up the scoring, netting a goal in the 10th minute of the game
  • Riley Mattingly Parker passed out to Felicia Knox to play into a sprinting Paul, who drove a ball into the goal from the top of the box
  • Mississippi State evened the score with a long shot by Haley McWhirter, which found the back of the net in the 34th minute after taking a deflection in the box
  • Alabama scored its second goal in the 64th minute as Parker dove to make contact with her head off a cross from Gessica Skorka
  • An unmarked Ashlynn Serepca added the Tide's third goal in the 75th minute
  • Parker sent a ball into the box for Serepca to send far corner into the back of the net
  • Riley Tanner scored the final goal of the night with 19 seconds left on the clock, heading a ball into the goal from Paul
Game Notes

  • The Crimson Tide clinched the SEC West title for the first time since 1998 and the fourth time in program history
  • Alabama also set the record for most wins in a season, topping the program's 14-win season in 1997
  • The Tide also set a program record for consecutive wins, recording its 11th in a row
  • Riley Mattingly Parker tallied her 12th goal of the season in addition to her third and fourth assist to give her 28 points this year
  • Felicia Knox tallied her 15th assist in the game, playing a ball in to Paul for the first goal of the night
  • Both Paul and Ashlynn Serepca notched their six goal in the game, while Riley Tanner scored her third
  • McKinley Crone made five saves in the game, capturing her 15th win and 33rd overall at Alabama
Next Up

  • The Crimson Tide returns home to host Florida on Sunday for Alabama's Senior Day
  • The two teams will kick off at 6 p.m. CT at the Alabama Soccer Stadium
 
Assuming the tournament is seeded the same way this season as it was last year...

I don't get awarding divisional titles in soccer. Seems pointless since they have no bearing on tournament seeding.
 

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The No. 3/1 Alabama soccer team (16-1-1, 9-0-0 SEC) clinched its first ever Southeastern Conference regular season title on Sunday as the Crimson Tide defeated Florida (0-7-1, 2-12-1 SEC) 2-0 at the Alabama Soccer Stadium.



From Head Coach Wes Hart

"I'm so happy for our team and what we were able to accomplish this season. Our players have answered every challenge thrown their way, and we've done it in so many ways, with so many different players stepping up from one game to the next. This team will forever be known as the first Alabama soccer team to win an SEC regular season title."

How It Happened​

  • Marianna Annest threw a ball in to Riley Mattingly Parker, who flicked a pass over to Kat Rogers
  • Rogers drove the bouncing ball into the back of the net for her first goal of the season and what would prove to be the game-winning goal
  • In the 48th minute, Riley Tanner collected a ball from 40 yards out and worked to find an open shot on goal
  • Tanner placed the long ball in the left corner of the net to move Alabama ahead by two goals

Game Notes​

  • Alabama clinched its first SEC regular season title in program history
  • The team has won nine straight conference games to remain undefeated in league play
  • Alabama has accumulated a single-season record 16 wins and has not lost a match since Aug. 21 against Miami
  • The win marks Alabama's 12th consecutive victory in 2022 and 16th straight win at the Alabama Soccer Stadium
  • Alabama's current winning streak began with a 2-0 win against UAB on Sept. 12 of last season
  • Tonight's win was the Crimson Tide's first against Florida since 2012
  • The Tide has shut out nine teams this season as goalkeeper McKinley Crone recorded her seventh shutout of the year and 18th overall in an Alabama uniform
  • Riley Tanner tallied her fourth goal of the season
  • Kat Rogers netted her first goal this year, scoring the game-winner in the 26th minute of the game

Next Up​

  • The Crimson Tide will close the regular season at Auburn on Thursday
  • The two teams kick off on SEC Network at 7:30 p.m. CT
 
That was a match I wish I could have attended. 1882 is the number I've heard for attendance...athletic staff ended up closing the gates.

If you've seen ALL-22 footage you'll understand this ...

I wish there was that kind of coverage. TV doesn't do the sport justice. That said...I'll make it a point to watch Thursday night.

It's a striking team which if a fun watch, live.
 
Sounds like a lot of fun, they're definitely a team to pay attention to this year. Could take home the NC the way it's looking so far. They're winning consistently by multi-goal margins and shutting other teams down. Pretty crazy ladies, keep it up.
 
The SEC tourney is in Pensacola!!!!! I may try to catch a match or 2, if I’m able!!!
Caught the tail end of one in gulf shores a couple years ago. This will be more fun as our girls are pretty bad-ass!!!! I’ve seen a couple on U-verse sec+, fun to watch super aggressive and fast!!
 
That was a match I wish I could have attended. 1882 is the number I've heard for attendance...athletic staff ended up closing the gates.

If you've seen ALL-22 footage you'll understand this ...

I wish there was that kind of coverage. TV doesn't do the sport justice. That said...I'll make it a point to watch Thursday night.

It's a striking team which if a fun watch, live.

So Emily, sombrero softball gal, posted some pictures last night of the line once the gates had to be closed. pretty crazy. Good for those girls getting some recognition and seeing the students get excited.

By the way, met up with her and her husband at a tailgate in The Quad during the A&M game, and met Montana Fouts. Montana and my son talked for about 30 minutes about deer hunting and his first deer he killed a month or so ago. She's a good/cool chick, Emily, and well, Montana as well. Montana was very focused on my son and gave him all the time he wanted to talk to her which is rare seemingly today. i appreciated it because I know she had friends everywhere and wanted to be with them, but she never showed it.
 
Montana was very focused on my son and gave him all the time he wanted to talk to her which is rare seemingly today
A couple of years ago a girl had a lunch meeting where she was supposed to meet the person at Rose. It was a pretty day, she was early, and decided to sit on one of the benches outside of Rose and wait. It was only going to be for half of an hour, right?

A guy, picture Tim, your typical white collared, academic type, sat beside her and talked about the book she was reading. I can't recall what the book was other than it was for one of her seminars—it wasn't your typical reading material.

When her fried came out of the building she was asked, "what did Murph have to say?"

"Who?"

"Coach Murphy, softball coach."

She had sat there for a half of an hour talking with him and didn't realize who she was talking with. Now, get this. That girl watches A LOT of softball...but didn't put it together that it was Murph, only wearing a shirt and tie versus seeing him in his "game day gear."

It was the same type of story. She felt he genuinely cared about what, and how, she was doing at UA.

Murph has recruited a lot of ladies like that in his time with us. Aly is a big part of that.
 
Bama v. the barn in cow town. Riley Tanner with a clutch goal in the 87th minute! So great to hear "ROLL TIDE ROLL!" being chanted in Auburn. Bama's two minutes away from a perfect SEC season!
 

AUBURN, Ala. – The No. 3/1 Alabama soccer team (17-1-1) concluded the regular season with a perfect 10-0 run in Southeastern Conference action as the Crimson Tide knocked off Auburn (6-6-6, 2-6-2 SEC) on the road Thursday. Riley Tanner netted the game-winning goal in the 86th minute of play to give UA a 1-0 win over the Tigers.

Alabama also won its third-consecutive Iron Bowl of soccer, marking the first time the Tide has won the Iron Bowl trophy three years in a row since its four-year run from 1996-99.

From Head Coach Wes Hart

"Another incredible performance by our team tonight. Every week we are challenged and every week we find ways to win these games. We do it in different ways and with different players. To finish 10-0 in one the best conferences in the country is a remarkable accomplishment. Not many programs can say they've done this."



How It Happened​

  • The game went into half time knotted at 0-0
  • UA found its game-winning goal in the 86th minute
  • Kat Rogers sent a ball to Riley Tanner on the back post from the right side of the field
  • Tanner would head the ball back across goal and into the back of the net for the win
  • McKinley Crone recorded three saves in the game for her eighth clean sheet this season

Game Notes​

  • Alabama is the first team to go undefeated in conference play since South Carolina went 11-0-0 in 2016
  • The team has won 10-straight conference games, finishing the season undefeated in league play
  • Alabama has accumulated a single-season record 17 wins and has not lost a match since Aug. 21 at Miami
  • Thursday's win is also the Tide's 13th-consecutive victory, the second-longest winning streak in the country behind Saint Louis' 15-game run
  • Alabama set the school record for points, finishing the game with 160 points on the season
  • McKinley Crone set the school record for shut outs in a single season with eight this year
  • Crone now has 19 career shutouts, second best in program history

Next​

  • Alabama enters the SEC Tournament in Pensacola, Fla., as the top seed
  • The Tide will receive a first-round bye, opening competition Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network against the winner of the eighth-seeded Mississippi State and ninth-seeded Texas A&M game
 
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