Auburn soccer's Chloe Taylor plays for Canada in U-20 Women's World Cup

AUBURN, Ala. – While her Auburn soccer teammates charge through nonconference play, freshman standout Chloe Taylor competes 5,000 miles away for Canada in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

“It’s the greatest honor,” said Taylor, a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia, who captained Canada’s U-17 Women’s National Team before attending Auburn. “Doing it at the U-17 level was the best experience and I’m excited to do it at this level with this special U-20 group. The World Cup is the biggest stage so having the opportunity to wear the badge and represent Canada is something I can never take for granted.”

For a few more days, the precocious Taylor still qualifies for the U-17 team. Taylor scored her first two career Auburn goals before her 18^th birthday on Sept. 2.

“Getting the experience at this young age is really beneficial and will help me down the line,” she said. “It’s also an experience to enjoy as a younger one and take it all in, be the best teammate I can be and see what I can perform with on the field.”

With her stellar international resume, Taylor earned scholarship offers from coast to coast, choosing Auburn based on a combination of style and substance.

“I really like the playing style Coach James (Armstrong) has brought in,” Taylor said. “We play very good, possession-based football, which I appreciate. The campus is unmatched. You don’t see a college town like that; nowhere else I visited was like that. Auburn is truly one of a kind.

“I love it there. The people and the place make it all worth it. It’s everything you could want in a college.”

Taylor made an instant impact, scoring twice while starting each of Auburn’s first three games, playing all 90 minutes in the Tigers’ 3-0 win over Southern Illinois on Aug. 20.

“It’s been great,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed all the girls, the coaches have been outstanding and I’m happy that I’ve gotten on the scoresheet a few times already. I’m excited for the rest of the season and excited to watch the team crush it while I’m away. Going into SEC play, I know we can accomplish a lot.”

Taylor’s time on campus, while brief, has been beneficial for Auburn and Chloe.

“James holds me to a really high standard and I’m grateful for that,” Taylor said, “because if I’m not pushing myself to my fullest potential, I’m never going to reach my fullest potential.”

How long Taylor remains in Poland depends on how far Canada advances in the tournament, which culminates Sept. 27. A business management major, Taylor stays current academically by watching lectures online and will make up any missed exams when she returns.

“The campus at Auburn is amazing,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed living there and taking it all in the first few weeks, starting up classes and meeting all the students. It’s been a really fulfilling experience. I’m excited to spend the next four years there.”

Taylor took to soccer instantly when she began playing in first grade at age 6.

“The people made me fall in love it with it,” Taylor said. “My coaches and teammates from the early days, who I’m still best friends with to this day. They made it so enjoyable and my love for the game stemmed from that and took off from there. I love soccer so much that I don’t ever see myself without it.”

Confident as a distributor with a proven track record in set pieces, Taylor aspires to become an even bigger part of Auburn’s attack when she gets back.

“Getting my name on the scoresheet and assists consistently in the run of play is something I’m focusing on, which I’m happy to have done so far in the college game,” she said. “Especially playing in the midfield.”

Rooting for her Tiger teammates from afar for the next few weeks, Taylor invites Auburn fans to support her in the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, beginning in group play Sept. 5 vs. England.

“I hope everyone’s cheering on Canada,” she said. “I’m excited to show what I can do on the international stage and then come back to Auburn and hopefully kill it the rest of the season and lead our team far.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer