SEC Soccer Week 9 Preview

Game of the Week

No. 17 Georgia host Missouri in a matchup of the third and fourth placed SEC teams Friday evening in Athens. With only two losses in their last 12 games, Missouri has been one of the SEC's most surprising teams after being picked to finish tenth in the SEC's preseason coaches poll. Georgia has bounced back from a 5-5-1 SEC record and being bounced from their first game of the SEC Tournament last year and has won eight of their last nine games.

After opening the season with an SEC game at Ole Miss, Georgia had off this past weekend so the Bulldogs will be well rested for their game against Missouri. Sophomore Gabby Seiler leads the SEC in points per game with an average of two points per game. Seiler leads the Bulldogs in both goals and assists with eight apiece.

Reagan Russell and Taylor Grant share the Tigers' scoring lead with six goals each, but four of Russell's goals have come in SEC play. After giving up two goals opening goals to Auburn this past weekend, Missouri battled back including a Russell goal and assist, but were not able to get an equalizer and fell to Auburn 3-2.

Last season, Georgia got a 1-0 road win in Columbia. Now-sophomore Marion Crowder scored the only goal on a breakaway in the second half.

Friday evening's game in Athens starts at 7 p.m. ET and will be streamed on SEC Network+.

The Undercard

• Vanderbilt travels to Starkville Friday night for a bottom of the table clash against Mississippi State. Both teams are winless in SEC play, and between them, have only managed a single point in SEC play (a Vanderbilt tie at Auburn September 24). The Commodores and Bulldogs both took four goal losses last weekend, but they did come against the best two teams in the SEC.
• LSU and Tennessee are presently on the outside looking in on the ten team SEC Tournament field, but both can move above the red line with a win. The two teams meet up Friday in Knoxville.

Talking Points

• Florida and Texas A&M remain the highest ranked SEC teams in the latest NSCAA poll. Florida remains ranked at No. 5, A&M moved up two spots to No. 8 and Georgia dropped a spot to No. 17.
• South Carolina's recent struggles continued this past weekend with a 1-0 loss to Kentucky. After being picked third in the preseason SEC coaches poll, the Gamecocks currently rank ninth in the SEC standings. With only one win in their last five games, goalscoring has been a constant problem. The Gamecocks have been held scoreless in three SEC games and have only scored more than two goals once in SEC play (a Sept. 21 double overtime win at Auburn). Things won't get any easier for South Carolina with Florida coming to Columbia on Friday night riding a seven game winning streak.
• Ole Miss and Auburn find themselves seventh and tenth in the SEC standings but have to rue their missed opportunities to be more comfortable in the tournament placement. The two teams lead the SEC with three ties, including a 2-2 tie in Oxford. Ole Miss has battled back from deficits in their three SEC ties to earn a point, but with two of those ties taking place in Oxford, it's been a lost opportunity for Ole Miss to capitalize on last year's NCAA appearance so far this year.

Standings

All standings W-L-T; 3 points per win, 1 per tie, 0 per loss.

Results and Schedule