AUBURN, Ala. – Former Auburn midfielder Ellie Leek has signed a professional contract with Le Havre Athletic Club (HAC) based in Normandy, France, the team announced earlier this week.
"After a successful four years with Auburn, it gave me the confidence and motivation to keep pushing myself in sport and life," Leek said. "When the opportunity to play for Le HAC in France came, it seemed like the perfect place to develop even more as a player and a person. I'm excited to get started in my professional soccer career, and the environment at Auburn has given me the best preparation to excel here."
A native of Torfaen, Wales, Leek appeared in 80 matches and earned a start in 61 contests during her four-year Auburn career. She totaled 27 points on eight goals and 11 assists, including a career-high three goals as a freshman and five assists as a sophomore. During her junior campaign, Leek scored the game-winning goal in a Southeastern Conference win vs. Mississippi State. She also began her senior season with a career-high, four-point performance on a goal and two assists vs. South Alabama.
Leek not only excelled in the classroom as a member of the 2017 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll, but was also a member of the senior class that took the Tigers to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in four straight seasons for the first time in program history.
"We are so proud to have Ellie representing Auburn soccer at the professional level," Auburn head coach Karen Hoppa said. "She has finished a great career here and is definitely ready for the next level. We are excited to watch her continue to develop."
Leek joins former Auburn players Ana Cate, Katy (Frierson) Freels, Julie King, Bianca Sierra and Allison Whitworth as Tigers to play professional soccer.
Whitworth was the first Auburn player drafted and competed for the Atlanta Beat in the Women's Professional Soccer League. She is currently the head coach at Spring Hill College. Freels and King compete in the National Women's Soccer League, and the latter broke the appearance record for the Boston Breakers a year ago. Cate and Sierra both compete in the Urvalsdelid Kvenna, the top women's league in Iceland, and their teams have won the champions league title each of the last two years.
