GREENWOOD, S.C. — Emily Gray tallied her team-leading ninth goal of the season, but Auburn scored three times in the second half to pull away and claim a 4-1 nonconference women's soccer victory over Virginia Tech in a neutral-site match Saturday afternoon at Van Taylor Stadium.
"It was a very challenging game today," Virginia Tech head coach Chugger Adair said. "We had moments where we looked pretty good, controlled the ball and created some chances.
"Both teams did early on, which led to an evenly-battled first half. I think as the game went on we created some chances off some adjustments we made to open the second half, but Auburn created a momentum shift after they went up 2-1 and we didn't do a great job recovering after that."
Gray, a junior from Sewell, N.J., scored in each of the Hokies' four spring contests, including back-to-back braces against William & Mary and Liberty. She opened the scoring in the 28th minute.
Tori Powell racked up a game-high five shots, including four on frame. Tech (8-9) registered 13 shots as a team, compared to Auburn's 21.
Alia Skinner charted a game-high eight saves – her eighth game of at least five saves this season.
Mallory Mooney notched a hat trick, accounting for each of the Tigers' three goals in the second half. After Gray's opening goal, Auburn scored four unanswered to close the regular season at 10-5-3. Maddie Simpson delivered the equalizer for the Tigers in the 36th minute.
Selections for the 2020-21 NCAA Women's Soccer Championship will be made Monday, April 19 at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com.