The two-seeded Auburn University at Montgomery Warhawks men’s soccer team fell 2-0 to the six-seeded West Alabama Tigers on Thursday evening in the semifinal round of the Gulf South Conference Championship at John Hunt Park.
First-Half Opportunities Slip Away
AUM entered the match holding an 11-3-3 overall record and a 7-1-2 conference mark, while West Alabama moved to 8-6-4 overall and 4-3-3 in Gulf South play. The opening half saw the Warhawks generate multiple early scoring opportunities, putting eight shots on goal compared to just one for the Tigers. AUM also struck the woodwork twice during the half, with attempts from Guerreiro and Mawd narrowly missing the target.
Early Breakthrough Favors Tigers
West Alabama broke through in the 14th minute when Florian Laot found the back of the net off an assist from David Nunez. Despite the early deficit, AUM continued to pressure, but the Tigers maintained a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Second-Half Push Falls Short
After the break, the Warhawks recorded seven shots in the second half as they pushed for an equalizer. West Alabama goalkeeper Dan Erez stopped three shots in the half to preserve the lead. The Tigers secured the semifinal victory in the 85th minute when Aidan Riley scored an insurance goal off an assist from Luke Jovanovich, stretching the margin to 2-0.
Warhawks Lead Total Shots in Match
AUM finished the contest with a 15-10 advantage in total shots, while West Alabama held a 5-4 edge in shots on goal. Goalkeeper Jakob Buhrkuhl recorded three saves for the Warhawks. AUM finished with five corner kicks, compared to three for West Alabama.
