July 11, 2008

AUBURN, Ala. - The Auburn soccer team has added another player for the 2008 season as Lydia Townsend of Enterprise is set to join the team. The addition of Townsend gives Auburn six newcomers for the 2008 season as the team tries to advance to its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.

Townsend, a 5-4 forward, was a standout two-sport athlete at Enterprise High School. On the pitch, she was named to the AHSAA North/South All-Star Team and the MVP of the North/South All-Star Game as an 11th-grader while also earning Super 12 and Player of the Year accolades from The Dothan Eagle. Her high school valedictorian, she was also a star on the basketball court, winning the EHS MVP award as both a junior and senior. Listed in Who's Who Among American Students, she earned varsity letters in soccer for three years and basketball for four.

Townsend joins Katy Frierson (Homewood), Erin Gaby (Marietta, Ga.), Aimee Golightly (Northport, N.Y), Julie King (St. Louis, Mo.) and Mary Nicholson (Birmingham, Ala.) as the newcomers to the 2008 team. Auburn also returns 20 players off of last year's NCAA Team, including nine starters.

Auburn opens its season on Friday, Aug. 22 at home against Grambling at 7pm CT.