Scouting analysis: Big Ten lands some of PA’s best

The PrepSoccer player rankings for Pennsylvania were released earlier this month. The Pennsylvania 2023 class is full of talent and already features a number of players committed to top Division I programs. The state has some of the best club teams in both the ECNL and the Girls Academy as well as the US Youth Soccer and the various other leagues. The high school soccer scene also attracts the best of the regions as well. For consistency, the PrepSoccer player rankings use the player's club location for the state rankings (i.e. a player who goes to school in Delaware but plays for a Pennsylvania club would be listed in the Pennsylvania rankings). The full list for <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/Pennsylvania/rankings/girls/2023-rankings/">the 2023 class can be viewed here</a>. Penn Fusion midfielder [player_tooltip player_id="25777" first="Elly" last="Slensky"] is the No. 1 player in the state of Pennsylvania for the class of 2023. She is a verbal commit to Boston College. Slensky <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2022/04/stock-up-2023s-to-watch-after-ecnl-phx/">impressed scouts with her play at ECNL Phoenix earlier this year.</a> She is a defensive midfielder with quick feet and excellent instincts. She has the characteristics of a midfielder who will contribute immediately at the Division I level. Improving her speed of play and decision-making will really take her game to the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="25711" first="Ava" last="Boyd"] is the No. 1 forward in the class of 2023 for Pennsylvania. Michigan State landed the verbal commitment of Boyd and [player_tooltip player_id="33230" first="Samantha" last="Miller"], which gives the Spartans both of the top forwards from the class. Boyd is one of those players who looks like she has jets taped to her boots. She could be five yards away from a defender and the defender will look comfortable in possession then in the blink of an eye she has stolen the ball, scored a goal, and ran back for kickoff. Her speed translates on film as she bursts off the screen with how quickly and easily she runs away from defenders. She plays as a center forward for her club team, but I wonder if her future might be as a support striker in a 4-4-2 to play off the shoulder of [player_tooltip player_id="33230" first="Samantha" last="Miller"]. Miller impressed scouts at the Girls Academy event. She is a prototypical center forward. She is very skilled for the position too. She can control just about any pass into her part of the field. Once she is on the ball, she will hold off defenders and link up with her teammates. On paper, it's a dream pairing with Boyd's skills. At the next level, chances are hard to come by so both could afford to improve as finishers, but they both have the instincts and potential to be great in their roles. [player_tooltip player_id="25932" first="Maya" last="Naimoli"] is the No. 1 goalkeeper in the class. Naimoli is a verbal commit to Ohio State, so she will be seeing a lot of Boyd and Miller in the future. The goalkeeper has a lot of solid fundamental skills that translate to a bright future in the net. She is excellent at getting her feet set before a shot so she has a good base to jump off of in an attempt block an attempt that's outside of her close range. She is good at organizing her defense. And excellent at distribution. [player_tooltip player_id="25664" first="Nancy" last="Soccio"], [player_tooltip player_id="45331" first="Sofia" last="DeCerb"], and [player_tooltip player_id="26009" first="Sydney" last="Slusser"] are also top goalkeepers from the state in this class. [player_tooltip player_id="45392" first="Delaney" last="Evers"] is the top ranked uncommitted player in this class. Evers is another player who impressed scouts at the Girls Academy event last month so she likely won't be the top uncommitted player for long. She is a player who excels in the wide areas. She is great at running into space and providing service from the wide channels. Evers has good speed, track speed, and is a two-way player which offers the chance of her playing either outside back or winger in the future. Check out <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/Pennsylvania/rankings/girls/2023-rankings/">the full player rankings for the Pennsylvania class of 2023</a>.