Rebecca Howell and Gabi Rivera To Auburn

COLLEGE COMMITMENTS FOR 2006

February 2, 2006 - Howell heads to Auburn from Satellite Beach, Fla., where she was a three-time ODP Florida State "A" Team participant. A 5-3 forward, she was also selected to three consecutive ODP Region III Pools. A member of Mike Potier and Fidgi Haig's Indialantic Force Club Team for four years, she helped guide the team to the State Cup Finals the last two seasons. A four-year starter for Haig at Satellite High School, she is the leading scorer with 45 goals and 25 assists during SHS's regular season run this year and has been named the Player of the Week six times in the past three years by Florida Today and the Orlando Sentinel.

"Rebecca is a crafty, one-v-one attacker who loves to take her defender on with the dribble, can shoot with distance and is a scoring threat anytime she is near the ball. She had a great scoring career in high school and we hope she continues to do that for us here at Auburn," Coach Mott said.

Rivera joins the Tigers from Lithia, Fla., where she was a 2004 Regional ODP Team selection and a 2003 ODP Regional Pool selection. Ranked in the top 125 by Soccer Buzz heading into this spring's signing period, she was a member of the Florida State ODP Team from 2001-2005 and also played for Jim Cote's Hillsborough United Club Team. A member of Durant High School's three-time state champion team, she was the team's leading scorer the last three years and set the freshman scoring record in her first season there. Over the course of four seasons, she has collected 90 goals and was selected First Team All-State in 2004 and Second Team in 2003.

"Gabi is somewhat of a two-position player. She can be an attacking center-mid, as she is very good at running the defense, and she is also a wide-flank forward. We look for big things from her as she is a scoring threat and is a great take-on artist, really one of the best forwards in the Southeast," Mott said.