Auburn Signs Seven in 2018 Recruiting Class

Auburn Signs Seven in 2018 Recruiting ClassAuburn Signs Seven in 2018 Recruiting Class

Feb. 7, 2018

AUBURN, Ala. - Head coach Karen Hoppa and the Auburn soccer program completed its 2018 recruiting class with a total of seven student-athletes, including five who signed their national letters of intent with the Tigers Wednesday morning.

"We are really excited about this class because it fills our needs and gives us depth at every line," Hoppa said. "They're not only very talented on the field and in the classroom, but are also great people who will fit into the Auburn Family."

With Angeline Daly and Abby Jacobs already on campus as early enrollees, Auburn rounded out its class of 2018 by signing M.E. Craven, Olivia Dedels, Taylor Gosselin, Julia Pack and Hailey Whitaker.



PlayerPos.Ht.HometownHigh School
(Previous School)		Club TeamTime Signed
M.E. CravenD6'2Cumming, Ga.LambertUnited FA8:01 a.m.
Angeline DalyMF5'5Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.Ponte Vedra (FSU)Jacksonville FCEE
Olivia DedelsMF5'6Lawrenceville, Ga.Collins HillTophat SC7:02 a.m.
Taylor GosselinF5'7Ladera Ranch, Calif.JSerra CatholicPateadores SC9:23 a.m.
Abby JacobsD5'7Pensacola Beach, Fla.Gulf BreezeAlabama FCEE
Julia PackMF/F5'7Birmingham, Ala.Oak MountainAlabama FC7:06 a.m.
Hailey WhitakerF5'1Birmingham, Ala.Oak MountainAlabama FC8:04 a.m.



Craven, a 6-foot-2 center back from Lambert High School, captained the Longhorns and helped the team win the 2017 GHSA 7A State Championship. Throughout her career, she was named a Top Drawer All-American, NSCAA All-South and All-State honoree and the Lambert Female Athlete of the Year. Also three-time all-region honoree, Craven played in 65 matches in her scholastic career and totaled 19 goals to go along with 24 assists.

Craven competes for United Futbol Academy at the club level, which participates in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

Along with soccer, the Cumming, Ga., native was an all-state performer and the 2017 Region 5-AAAAAAA Player of the Year as a four-year letterwinner on the basketball team.

Outside of her respective sports, Craven attained a 4.0 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Craven is the daughter of Jeff and Lynn Craven. She has one sibling, Will, who is currently a junior at Auburn.



Daly, a midfielder from Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is a transfer from Florida State and utilized a redshirt during her freshman season with the Seminoles.

Daly spent her scholastic career at Ponte Vedra High School and helped the Sharks advance to the 2016 state title match with the game-winning goal in the state semifinal.

She also competed for Jacksonville FC, where she won the 2015 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship. Daly was invited to participate with the U.S. National Team on four occasions and attended the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Player Development Program (PDP) Camp from 2014-16. She also made the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP) International Trip from 2013-16 and participated in the ODP Camp held in Boca Raton, Fla., from 2012-15.

Daly is the daughter of Matt and Michele Daly. She has five siblings, Ashton, Neil, Kelsey. Morgan and Gabrielle. Her grandfather, Dick Daly, played football at North Carolina, and her father, Matt, played baseball at Saint Leo.



Dedels, a midfielder from Lawrenceville, Ga., wraps up her scholastic career at Collins Hill High School this spring. Dedels, who served as a team captain her junior year, has played in 61 matches while earning starts in 60 of those contests. She finished her junior year with a career-high six goals and 14 assists and earned team MVP honors following the season. Dedels was also voted Defensive Player of the Year for Collins Hill during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. She has earned all-county and all-region honors in each of her three seasons with the team.

A member of Tophat SC, which participates in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, Dedels was named to the Top Drawer Spring All-Region Team of Southeast Alabama and Georgia in 2016 and 2017. She was also named to the 2016 and 2017 Spring State Stars Team of Georgia.

Like her fellow signees, Dedels excels in the classroom and is a member of the National Society for High School Scholars.

Dedels is the daughter of Allen and Brenda Dedels. She has two siblings, Kelsey and Alex.



Gosselin, who comes to The Plains from Southern California, is a forward from JSerra Catholic High School. She has scored 13 goals in two seasons and led the Lions to the 2017 Division I State Championship. Gosselin earned Second Team CIF honors in 2015 and was an honorable mention selection a season ago.

Gosselin competes for Pateadores SC, which also participates in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.

Gosselin was also a member of the varsity track team at JSerra and clocked the second fastest 100-meter dash in school history.

Gosselin is the daughter of Mike and Lisa Gosselin. She has one sibling, Jacob. Her father, Mike, played professional soccer for multiple teams and earned one cap with the U.S. National Team.



Jacobs, a three-year letterwinner and outside back at Gulf Breeze High School in Pensacola Beach, Fla., totaled 25 points on eight goals and nine assists and was a key piece of a defensive unit that allowed only eight goals in 59 career matches. She helped lead her team to three straight district championships and a pair of regional championship appearances.

Jacobs competed for Alabama FC at the club level ranked third in the nation in assists in the ECNL during the 2015-16 season. She also competed for the Gulf Coast Texans in the Women's Premier League and was the youngest player on the roster when she joined the team at 16 years old. She not only helped the Texans advanced to the national finals in 2017, but also earned a spot on the Region III ODP Team thanks to her efforts on the pitch.

Jacobs was also a standout member of the track and field team at Gulf Breeze and competed in the regional finals in the 400-meter dash on a pair of occasions.

She also excelled in the classroom where she graduated in the top 15 of her class as an AP Scholar with Distinction. Jacobs was a member of the National Honor Society as well as the English, Spanish and History Honor Societies.

Jacobs is the daughter of Richard and Kimberly Jacobs. She has two siblings, Annabel and Amelia.



Pack joins the Tigers as an attacking midfielder and forward from Oak Mountain High School and Alabama FC. Pack started playing varsity soccer in eighth grade and has amassed 79 goals and 61 assists in her scholastic career. She is considered the second best prospect in the state and 26th best player in the country by MaxPreps. Highlighting a long list of accolades that includes multiple all-state and all-county selections, Pack was named the 2016 Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year, the 2017 NSCAA Alabama Class 7A Player of the Year and led her team to a pair of AHSAA State Championships.

Pack attended the 2014 ODP National Camp and was named to the 2015 Best XI All-Star Team after leading the ECNL Region III in scoring. She was also picked to travel to Rio de Janeiro in April 2017 to compete against Brazilian First Division clubs.

A 4.0 student, Pack is a member of the National Honor Society along with the English, Math, Science, History and Spanish Honor Societies.

Pack is the daughter of Scott and Melanie Pack. She has three siblings, Austin, Katie and Jamie. Her brother, Austin, plays soccer for Wheaton College.



A teammate of Pack with Oak Mountain High School and Alabama FC, Whitaker is wrapping up her final season with the Eagles this spring. Whitaker has been a key offensive contributor for three straight seasons and a team captain during each of the past two campaigns. With her senior season still to come, she has totaled 74 goals and 31 assists in 78 matches played. Whitaker was named a member of the 2017 AHSAA 7A All-State First Team and is also a two-time all-county and three-time all-metro performer. She helped lead the Eagles to the 2015 AHSAA State Championship.

Whitaker finished as a top-five leading scorer in the ECNL Southeast Conference in 2015 and 2016 and was a 2017 ODP All-Star.

Whitaker also excels in the classroom, where she is a member National Honor Society and is the president of the Spanish Honor Society.

Whitaker is the daughter of Marci and Reggie Whitaker. She has three siblings, Brandon, Cameron and Raegan.