Auburn signs 11 in 2020 recruiting class

Auburn signs 11 in 2020 recruiting classAuburn signs 11 in 2020 recruiting class
Cat Wofford/Auburn Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – Head coach Karen Hoppa and the Auburn soccer program announced its complete 2020 signing class as 11 players have signed their national letters of intent to join the program next fall.

"We are really excited about this class," Hoppa said. "I feel like we've been waiting a long time to sign them. It's a big group, but we needed a big group."

The class, which includes four forwards, three midfielders, three defenders and a goalkeeper, spans much of the United States with three players coming from Florida, two from Georgia and Texas, and one apiece from Colorado, Kentucky, West Virginia and Wisconsin.  

"This class gives us depth and talent at every position," Hoppa added. "I think they're going to have an incredible four years here on campus."

The players who will join the Tigers in 2020 are listed below.

PlayerPos.HometownClub TeamHigh School
Analiese AndersonDJacksonville, Fla.United SAThe Providence School
Jolie BaltzegarFEvans, Ga.Armada FCGreenbrier
Maddy BondonDDuluth, Ga.Gwinnett SAPeachtree Ridge
Sammie BrownMFMorgantown, W.V.FC Alliance AthleticaMorgantown
Olivia CandelinoFJacksonville, Fla.Armada FCThe Bolles School
Makenna GarciaGKPflugerville, TexasLonestar SCHendrickson
Anna HaddockMFBowling Green, Ky.Tennessee SCGreenwood
Mallory MooneyFBroomfield, Colo.Colorado RapidsBroomfield
Madeline MooreDWinter Haven, Fla.West Florida FlamesWinter Haven
Maddie SimpsonFWausau, Wisc.Rush WisconsinD.C. Everest
Hannah WaeschMFThe Colony, TexasSolar SCThe Colony

Analiese Anderson will make her way to Auburn from Jacksonville, Florida, and is a product of United Soccer Alliance of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (DA).

A key contributor on the back line, Anderson helped lead United SA to 18 shutouts in 25 contests during the 2018-19 season. The team made an appearance in the DA semifinals and received the Fair Play Award. United SA also competed against the French U20 Women's National Team in the 2018 DA Winter Showcase, and Anderson received an international cap in the friendly.

Jolie Baltzegar signs with Auburn as a native of Evans, Georgia. She enters her first season with Armada FC of the ECNL and also plays for Greenbrier High School.

Previously a member of Tophat SC, Baltzegar has registered 115 points on 40 goals and 35 assists in three seasons at the club level. She has been named to the ODP Regional Team and ODP State Team while also earning an invite to a U.S. Soccer Training Camp.

A prolific scorer at the high school level, Baltzegar has turned in 200 points on 81 goals and 38 assists in her first three seasons at Greenbrier. She is a three-time First Team All-Region honoree and has been named the Region 6A Player of the Year on a pair of occasions.

Maddy Bondon joins the Tigers from Duluth, Georgia. She is a standout for both the Gwinnett Soccer Academy and Peachtree Ridge High School.

A key defender for the Gwinnett Soccer Academy and a previous member of Atlanta Fire United SA, Bondon has played and started in all 90 matches she at the club level in the last three seasons. She was named a Top Drawer Soccer Spring State Star during both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

Also a member of the Peachtree Ridge Lions, Bondon is a two-time First Team All-Region honoree and was named the 2018 Region Midfielder of the Year. She helped lead her team to a regional championship her sophomore year and was the team's leading goal scorer with 10 goals as a junior.  

Sammie Brown hails from Morgantown, West Virginia, and is a product of FC Alliance Athletica and Morgantown High School. She is the daughter of longtime West Virginia women's soccer head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown.

A heady center midfielder, Brown excels at both the club and high school level and recently led the Morgantown Mohigans to the 2019 AAA State Championship. She is a two-time First Team All-State honoree and was named the 2018 West Virginia AAA Player of the Year. Brown has totaled 135 points on 41 goals and 53 assists and was also named a 2018-19 Top Drawer Soccer Fall Sate Star.  

Like Anderson, Olivia Candelino will make her way to The Plains from Jacksonville, Florida. She is a teammate of Baltzegar on Armada FC and also plays for The Bolles School.

A dynamic forward who can play anywhere on the front line, Candelino was named the 2017-18 ECNL Southeast Conference Player of the Year and a ECNL All-American after totaling 56 points on 18 goals and 20 assists on the season. She earned an invite to the 2018 ECNL National Training Camp and was named to the 2018-19 ECNL Southeast All-Conference Team.

Also a standout at The Bolles School, Candelino has registered 188 points on 66 goals and 56 assists in three seasons. She led her team to back-to-back 2A State Championships while earning Florida Player of the Year awards in each of the last two season. Candelino has also been named a 2019 Allstate All-American and to the 2019 Top Drawer Soccer Winter All-Region Team.

Makenna Garcia inked her name with the Tigers from Pflugerville, Texas, and is a product of Lonestar SC and Hendrickson High School.

Garcia is rated a four-start recruit and the No. 9 goalkeeper in the country, according to Top Drawer Soccer. She helped lead Lonestar SC to the 2019 National Championship, not allowing a goal in group play before coming up just short despite making 10 saves in the championship match. Garcia went on to be named to the Girls DA Playoffs Best XI. She turned in 15 shutouts on the season and also pitched in with a pair of assists.

In her lone season competing for Hendrickson prior to moving to the DA, Garcia helped lead her team to the 2017 Texas 6A State Championship and was named the State Tournament MVP after turning in back-to-back shutouts in the tournament. She was also named Austin American Stateman's Newcomer of the Year.

Anna Haddock joins the Auburn program from Bowling Green, Kentucky. She is a standout for both Tennessee SC and Greenwood High School.  

Haddock had a breakout performance with Tennessee SC during the 2017-18 season, totaling 20 goals and 11 assists in 27 matches. She went on to be named the 2017-18 ECNL U17 Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year and an ECNL All-American. Haddock was also named to the 2018-19 ECNL Ohio Valley Conference U18 All-Conference Team and has earned a National Training Camp invite in each of the last two season.

At the high school level, Haddock holds the Greenwood records for career goals (150) and assists (85) and has taken home a plethora of state and national honors. Haddock has been named an All-American by Allstate and the United Soccer Coaches. She was also named the Gatorade and United Soccer Coaches Kentucky Player of the Year and Miss Kentucky, among other awards. Haddock recently competed in the High School All-American Game and was named to the Best XI Team.

Mallory Mooney hails from Broomfield, Colorado. She competes for the Colorado Rapids of the ECNL and also plays for Broomfield High School.

Dangerous on the attack, Mooney scored 23 goals in 22 contests for the Colorado Rapids a season ago and helped led the team to the ECNL Northwest Division Championship. She was also named to the ECNL Northwest All-Conference Team and has been invited to the ECNL PDP Camp in each of the last two seasons.

Mooney also excels at the high school level, where she has registered 91 points on 37 goals and 17 assists in the last two seasons. She is a two-time CHSSCA First Team All-State performer and two-time Top Drawer Soccer Spring All-Region honoree. Mooney helped lead her team to a runner-up finish in the 2018 CHSSCA State Championship and was named a 2019 Allstate All-American as well as the Front Range League and Boulder County Player of the Year.

Madeline Moore will make her way to Auburn from Winter Haven, Florida, and plays for the West Florida Flames of the DA.

A two-time team captain for the Flames, Moore has been a key member of the team's back line and was named an ODP State Team honoree. She is a three-star recruit according to Top Drawer Soccer and has previously earned an invite to PDP Camp.

Moore doesn't compete for Winter Haven High School due to DA restriction, but she is also a two-time 3-v-3 national champion, a beach soccer national qualifier, a 2017 futsal southeast region champion and a 2019 futsal world champion.

Maddie Simpson joins the Auburn program from Wausau, Wisconsin. She competes for Rush Wisconsin at the club level and also plays for D.C. Everest High School.

Simpson is the leading scorer and team captain for Rush Wisconsin and has been named to the ODP Regional Team and ODP State Team. She has earned multiple invites to Region 2 ID Camps and was named to the Rush Select Team comprised of the top players from across the country in 2019.

Simpson is also a standout for D.C. Everest, registering 82 goals and 22 assists in three seasons. She is a three-time All-State honoree, earning honorable mention honors in 2017, second team honors in 2018, and first team honors in 2019. Simpson is also a three-time All-Conference player and was named a 2018-19 Top Drawer Soccer Spring State Star.

Waesch signs with the Tigers as a native of The Colony, Texas, and a product of Solar Soccer Club of the DA.

A four-star recruit and the No. 26 player in the country, Waesch has totaled 119 points on 32 goals and 55 assists in 104 contests through her first three seasons in the DA. She helped lead her team to a 37-1-1 record and the U17 National Championship during the 2018-19 season and also captained the U15 team to the ECNL National Championship final in 2016-17. Waesch was recently selected for the U.S. U18 Women's National Team training camp held in Bradenton, Florida, and was also named United Soccer Coaches All-South Region.

Prior to joining the DA, Waesch competed for The Colony High School during her freshman season. She is the only freshman to be named a varsity captain in program history and went on to be named First Team All-District and the Midfielder of the Year.