Missouri soccer suffered their first SEC loss on Thursday, falling 3-2 to Auburn on the road.

Auburn struck first, scoring 12 minutes into the match on a free kick from freshman defender Shania Spriggs. They doubled their lead in the 33rd minute on only their second shot of the contest with a goal from Sydney Richards.

Missouri only registered one shot in the first half, tying their lowest amount of shots in a half this season, the other in a previous matchup during the second half against Florida on Sep. 15.

Missouri finally broke the ice six minutes into the second half with a goal from sophomore forward Kylee Simmons inside the box off an assist from junior midfielder Leah Selm. Simmons is now the sole leader in SEC goals with eight  — she also extended her lead in points to 18. She was voted the United Soccer Coaches player of the week after three combined goals against Missouri State and Florida.

Selm continued her contributions with a game-tying goal 11 minutes later from the left side of the box off an assist from senior forward Jenna Bartels. 

This was Selm’s second goal of her career, with her first coming on Aug. 25, 2022. After scoring no points in the first seven games, Selm racked up 4 in the first two games of SEC play this season.

The game didn’t stay tied long, as Auburn broke the tie in the 68th minute, retaking the lead at 3-2 on a second goal from Richards.

This was only the second time Missouri has allowed three or more goals this season, with the other game being a 5-0 annihilation at the hands of Nebraska. The back line has been a problem for the Tigers all season, as they’ve allowed 16 goals thus far — the most in the SEC.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Bella Hollenbach struggled in the match, saving only two shots while allowing three goals for the first time this season.

Missouri hopes to rebound in their SEC home opener against No. 22 Georgia at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sep. 24.

Edited by Quentin Corpuel | qcorpuel@themaneater.com

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