ECNL Champions League U16 Playoff Preview

The ECNL Champions League playoffs in the U16 age group kick off on Wednesday with 44 teams competing for the title. This is the first year that ECNL has expanded the field for the postseason. With more teams in the hunt for the title, there is a new format to advancing from the first round of the postseason. The 11 group winners plus the five best second place teams from the groups (based on total points, goal differential, goals for, and goals against as the tiebreakers) advance to the Round of 16. The group games and the Round of 16 games will be in Seattle/Redmond, Washington. The eight teams that advance from that will play in Richmond in July for a chance at the national championship. PrepSoccer breaks down the ECNL Champions League U16 playoffs below with an in-depth look at each group including players to know from each team in the postseason. Group A Teams (W-L-D - records from ECNL CL Standings Seeding including showcase games): Solar SC (29-1-1), Charlotte SA (14-5-3), FC Bucks (13-6-6), Ohio Premier (11-6-8) Solar SC enters the postseason as the favorite to take home the crown. After another dominant campaign in Texas, Solar is looking to <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2022/03/why-we-train-hard-solars-key-to-success/">reach the pinnacle after coming up short last season</a>. Solar lost in a penalty kick shootout to San Diego Surf in the semifinals in 2021. Will redemption be enough for the favorites to survive the tests from this group? Charlotte SA and Solar already met this season with the Texas side coming away with a 7-2 victory. Players to Know [caption id="attachment_42702" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-42702 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/04/SolarChampions-scaled-crop-2518x1653-1650054338-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Solar SC 06- Dallas Cup champions[/caption] Take <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2022/06/ecnl-girls-previewing-the-u16-texas-conference-cl-contenders/">your pick on the Solar roster</a>. More than half of the team has youth national team experience. It's a stacked roster that has shown incredibly depth with the Dallas Cup championship this season while missing a majority of the starters due to national team and high school obligations. [player_tooltip player_id="24690" first="Blane" last="McElroy"] (Charlotte SA) is a center midfielder who had a really strong season in the ECNL. She is good on the ball and an excellent passer. She is a finisher around the box and a weapon to get on the end of set pieces. [player_tooltip player_id="25692" first="Anna" last="Croyle"] (FC Bucks) is a do-everything type of player. She can fill in as a defensive midfielder and cover a ton of ground. Or she can be a center back when Bucks need to withstand pressure late. She is a weapon on set pieces with her aerial ability and Bucks will target her with long throw-ins. She is <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/pennsylvania/rankings/girls/2024-rankings/">a top rated player in the state of Pennsylvania in the PrepSoccer rankings</a>. [player_tooltip player_id="25208" first="Julia" last="Belli"] (Ohio Premier) is one of the top center backs from the Ohio Valley Conference and one of the best in the state of Ohio for the class of 2024. She is aggressive in aerial duels, intelligent in her positioning, and tough on the tackle. When she wins possession, she is one of the best at getting her head up immediately and picking out a teammate. Belli is going to have a lot of scouts watching her against Group B Teams: World Class (21-0-4), UFA (20-6-5), So Cal Blues (18-11-3), Davis Legacy (11-11-5) World Class was the only team to go through the ECNL season without suffering a loss. There is some familiarity in this group as World Class and So Cal Blues played to a 1-1 draw on May 30 during the ECNL event in New Jersey. Blues also beat Legacy 3-0 earlier this season. Players to Know [player_tooltip player_id="33420" first="Dylan" last="Jovanovic"] (World Class) is a creative attacking midfielder. She is a dangerous player for the opposition as she can finish with either foot. She is skillful on the ball and one of the top playmakers in the ECNL. [player_tooltip player_id="21788" first="Kennadie" last="Marchand"] (UFA) is a fearless goalkeeper. She will do everything to stop a shot, and that type of competitiveness of your goalkeeper translates to the whole team. UFA had a slow return to the field with results at ECNL NJ, but that experience should help the defense's sharpness prior to the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="18921" first="Krystal" last="Medina"] (So Cal Blues) is another bright talent at the attacking midfield spot. If Medina gets free and plays up to her level, Blues could run away with this group. She is the key to stopping this team. [player_tooltip player_id="19314" first="Devin" last="Greer"] (Davis Legacy) is a traditional center forward. She can play with her back to the goal as a link-up option, or she can get in behind the defense. She has a lot of traits that scouts look for from prospects in that role. Group C Teams: Internationals SC (21-3-1), Sporting Blue Valley (15-5-2), OK Energy (17-7-7), VA Union (10-8-4) [caption id="attachment_48307" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-48307 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/ISC-Surf-06-300x268.jpg" alt="Internationals vs Surf" width="300" height="268" /> [player_tooltip player_id="25146" first="Cassandra" last="Nagy"] battles with San Diego Surf player[/caption] Internationals enter the postseason on an eight-game unbeaten run. [player_tooltip player_id="25159" first="Eleanor" last="Klinger"], one of the top players in the country in the 2025 class, is a must-see talent. Sporting Blue Valley, OK Energy and VA Union (formerly McLean) all have the possibility of pulling off the upset against any team in the country. This group is defined by the elite 2025 and 2026 talent on display. Players to Know [player_tooltip player_id="25159" first="Eleanor" last="Klinger"] (Internationals) is in the midst of another standout ECNL season with 20 goals and 12 assists in 19 games. The competitive midfielder would love to add an ECNL National Championship to the résumé. [player_tooltip player_id="23448" first="Grace" last="Vest"] (Sporting Blue Valley) is a left midfielder/winger. She has breakaway pace and makes great runs off the ball. Vest is right-footed, but she can finish with either foot and hits a good cross with her left. She is a player that the opposition has to mark to shut down Sporting Valley. Rylee McLanahan (OK Energy) is the type of player who will buzz around the field for 30 minutes then make the incisive pass to break the game wide open. She is a bright talent that is playing up in age group and continues to seek out challenges, a trademark of a player bound for a bright future. [player_tooltip player_id="27916" first="Nawreen" last="Ahmad"] (Virginia Union) is another midfielder who pulls the strings for her side. She is a player who can fit in any role in the midfield, but likely needs to operate as the attacking midfielder to set up her team for success. She is great at finding space in the opposition's defense and making runs into the area to create chances for herself and her teammates. Group D Teams: Slammers FC HB Koge (26-3-3), NC Fusion (12-2-8), SUSA (13-6-6), Ohio Elite SA (10-6-9) Slammers FC HB Koge is the favorite in nearly every age group in the ECNL. The back-to-back Club of the Year for the ECNL (LAFC Slammers/Slammers Koge won in 2019 and 2021, there was no winner in 2020) is the top seed in this group. The Southern California squad will face a tough task as NC Fusion, SUSA, and Ohio Elite all had excellent seasons. Fusion finished the year with only two losses, which includes showcase games as well. Players to Know [caption id="attachment_48309" align="alignright" width="249"]<img class="wp-image-48309 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/Leilani-NgoHarris-Slammers06-249x300.jpg" alt="Slammers FC HB Koge 06" width="249" height="300" /> Slammers Koge defender [player_tooltip player_id="18923" first="Leilani" last="Ngo-Harris"][/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="18886" first="Ava" last="Cashman"] (Slammers FC HB Koge) is a center midfielder who is crucial to the Slammers Koge success. She is linking piece in possession as the funnel of the team. She is excellent at ball recovery and not afraid to put in a challenge when needed. Katie Park and Sadie Hoch have also been stellar in midfield for Slammers Koge this season. [player_tooltip player_id="24758" first="Ellie" last="Garrison"] (NC Fusion) is fresh off a stellar high school season - she finished her sophomore campaign with 77 goals for the state championship winning side. The forward is fully capable of taking over any game at this level and will be a thorn in the side of the opposition. [player_tooltip player_id="24604" first="Sydney" last="Romano"] (SUSA) is a standout at goalkeeper for the New York squad. The strength of SUSA is the individual defending of the collective team. They are fully capable of man-marking across the field and can offer some unique tactical alignments to confuse the opposition. The fluidity of that defensive shape can put extra pressure on the goalkeeper, and Romano is every bit the part of the last line of defense. [player_tooltip player_id="25102" first="Ainsley" last="Schaufele"] (Ohio Elite SA) is a stellar center back for Ohio. She plays as the left center back for the squad. She has good physical traits (tall, quick) to suggest she will develop into even better defender at the next level. Group E Teams: SLSG Navy (18-3-1), Legends FC (21-6-6), CFC (16-7-2), Washington Premier (12-7-10) SLSG Navy started the ECNL regular season with a nine-game shutout streak. They didn't give up a goal until the day before Halloween. The negative for SLSG Navy is they have not played an ECNL game since February. Legends FC's defense is the story for the SoCal squad. The Legends defense has only let in more than one goal in three of the 16 games since returning from high school play. CFC has a dynamic attack with a trio of contributors capable of breaking down the opposition. Washington Premier bounced back from a slow start to the season with a nice close to the season to earn a spot in the playoffs. The Northwest squad will need to keep that high level of play in order to advance from this group. Players to Know [player_tooltip player_id="23447" first="Grace" last="Restovich"] (SLSG Navy) is one of two Conference Players of the Year in this group. The midfielder is a coach's dream. She does everything and does it well. Restovich will be key to SLSG's success this postseason. [player_tooltip player_id="41389" first="Taylor" last="Kessler"] (Legends FC) makes every free kick within 30 yards a great goal scoring chance for her side. She is elite at dead ball situations, which can make a massive difference at this age. [player_tooltip player_id="20829" first="Faith" last="Graziano"] (CFC) is the other Conference Player of the Year in this group. Graziano is a midfielder who can score from anywhere within 40 yards of goal. She strikes the ball really well in the run of play. [player_tooltip player_id="28149" first="Elise" last="Miller"] (Washington Premier) is the key for the Northwest team. She is a forward who is great a punishing mistakes. The team does a good job at finding her quickly when in the transition and the forward makes the most of her opportunities. Group F Teams: Concorde Platinum (23-6-2), MVLA (20-3-4), Slammers FC (20-9-4), KC Athletics (11-9-2) On paper, Group F looks like the Group of Death. The fourth team in the group is the defending ECNL Champions League National Champion. MVLA (9) and Concorde Platinum (12) won their respective divisions during the regular season. Slammers FC finished in second place in a very difficult division. “We need to remain confident, focused and disciplined,” Slammers coach Walter Camargo said when asked about the key to his team being successful at the ECNL playoffs. “If we can out-possess the other teams and control the pace, then we will be in good shape.” Players to Know: [player_tooltip player_id="21801" first="Kylie" last="Briscoe"] (Concorde Platinum) is a center back with impressive athletic qualities. When she is running downhill, she is impossible to stop. She plays as a forward for her school so she has a great understanding of how forwards operate, which helps with her defending. Then in possession, she is not afraid to step into space and offer something to the attack for her side. Josie Tunney (MVLA) has been in great form recently. The forward has finished nearly every chance she's had in recent games. [player_tooltip player_id="19196" first="Brianna" last="Nesser"] (Slammers) is another forward in good form heading into the event. Nesser has track speed and it translates on the field. She just burst past defenders with ease. She will put the opposition under pressure from the opening whistle. [player_tooltip player_id="33363" first="Anisten" last="Cabantac"] (KC Athletics) is one of the key pieces for her side. The midfielder pulls the strings for KC. She had a stellar freshman season with St. Thomas Aquinas (Kansas). Now back with her club, will that form carry over? Group G Teams: Colorado Rapids (17-2-6), Bethesda SC (20-3-5), LAFC So Cal (17-6-10), Tampa Bay United (16-11-4) Colorado Rapids and Bethesda SC combined for only five losses this season. Both teams have realistic ambitions of being national champions this season. Now, they are going to battle for only one guaranteed spot out of this group. Rapids won the first meeting this season (3-1) back in December. LAFC So Cal and Tampa Bay United are looking to be the surprise teams from Group G as both have been tested in tough divisions throughout the regular season. “We were committed to our style of play and showed such flexibility and adaptability in our approach to beating many tough opponents,” Rapids coach Tom Poole said when asked about his team's success this season. “We feel we have self-regulating players who are capable of performing well against the country's best teams.” Rapids will get that test against the best early with this group. Players to Know [caption id="attachment_48313" align="alignleft" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-48313 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/BethesdaSC06-IG-300x273.jpg" alt="Bethesda SC 06 Ashley Ahn" width="300" height="273" /> Bethesda SC 06 defender Ashley Ahn[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="20346" first="Adeleine" last="Walick"] (Colorado Rapids) is the obvious choice from the Rapids. The midfielder is the <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/colorado/rankings/girls/2024-rankings/">No. 1 player in the PrepSoccer Colorado Rankings for the class of 2024</a>. Recently, she has been playing (and playing well) for the Rapids in the WPSL - a league that features many of the current top players in college soccer. If Bethesda is going to get the revenge from the loss earlier this season, the defense will need to be sharp. Isabelle Daw (Bethesda SC) impressed during the National Event in Arizona. She is a rare talent at outside back who is terrific on the ball and equally as good defensively. [player_tooltip player_id="20162" first="Savannah" last="Hutchins"] (LAFC So Cal) is a center forward who could make this group interesting. She is very good at playing with a defender on her back. She is great at using her body as a shield to keep the defender away from the ball and create chances when defenders commit to an untimely challenge. [player_tooltip player_id="21067" first="Cayla" last="Jackson"] (Tampa Bay United) is another attacking talent that could play the spoiler role in this group. She is dynamic on the ball - both on the dribble and the pass. She will be one for the defense to key in on in this group. Group H Teams: PDA Blue (17-2-6), DKSC (22-8-1), San Juan SC (15-5-7), Minnesota Thunder (9-10-3) This is a fun group that will get a lot of eyes from scouts on it. PDA brings some firepower including two of the top 2025 prospects in the country. DKSC withstood an early season beating from FC Dallas and then bounced back to stay competitive in every other game during the campaign including taking the favorites Solar to the edge a couple of times. DKSC finished third in the Texas conference even with captain Laila Nieto out due to injury. San Juan SC is unbeaten in their last nine games, which includes a 2-0 win over Minnesota Thunder. Players to Know [caption id="attachment_48314" align="alignright" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-48314 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/PalomaDaubert-IG-300x250.jpg" alt="San Juan SC defender [player_tooltip player_id=" width="300" height="250" /> San Juan SC 06 defender [player_tooltip player_id="20044" first="Paloma" last="Daubert"][/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="23805" first="Addison" last="Halpern"] (PDA Blue) and Jordan DeNegri (PDA Blue) are two of the top talents in the 2025 class. They will be the focal points of the PDA squad in this group. [player_tooltip player_id="26301" first="Allie" last="Love"] (DKSC) has been unstoppable on the field and the track this season. The high work-rate forward is a threat to score on the break at any point with her pace and ability to strike the ball. San Juan will be counting on [player_tooltip player_id="20044" first="Paloma" last="Daubert"] to help lead the way to an upset bid in Group H. Daubert is an outside back with versatility, and she will pop up in some unique spots on the field throughout the game to give the opposition some trouble. She is a weapon in the attack for her side. Izzy Engle (Minnesota Thunder) showed that she can play with and against the best in the ECNL during the National Selection Game earlier this year. She is a skillful midfielder who is good with both feet. Group I Teams: VDA (15-4-3), Eclipse Select SC (17-3-2), Rebels SC (16-5-11), Northwest Elite FC (16-10-3) This is going to be a group with a lot of close games. VDA has a lot of the top talent from Virginia in <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/california/rankings/boys/2024-rankings/">the class of 2024 in the PrepSoccer rankings</a>. Eclipse Select has not played an ECNL competitive game since February. The Illinois club is still one to watch though. They're always ready to compete. Rebels SC went through the ECNL campaign with only one loss in conference play while playing in one of the hardest divisions in the league. Northwest Elite is a<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2022/05/elite-level-girls-teams-standing-out-at-northwest-elite-fc/"> club on the rise</a> and could be ready to surprise everyone this summer. Players to Know [player_tooltip player_id="33368" first="Kamryn" last="Winger"] (VDA) is one of the best center backs in the ECNL. She has elite traits in her anticipation and tackling. She is one of the top players college coaches will be watching during the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="22142" first="Kendell" last="Williams"] (Eclipse Select) is a dual-sport athlete who plays at a very high level on the basketball court as well. She is a terrific goalkeeper who could be key to Eclipse's success. Rebels' goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id="19455" first="Grace" last="Miller"] is another standout in that role. Miller has already had some terrific performances this season against some top teams in the ECNL. She will be in the spotlight in this group as each game figures to be very close. [player_tooltip player_id="38768" first="Kenley" last="Whittaker"] (Northwest Elite) is a dangerous finisher for the Oregon side. She is good at punishing mistakes as her team likes to press the opposition into mistakes. She is also a weapon on set pieces with aerial abilities. Group J Teams: La Roca (20-2-3), San Diego Surf (22-2-8), Penn Fusion (13-5-7), FC Alliance (9-9-7) [caption id="attachment_48315" align="alignleft" width="284"]<img class="wp-image-48315 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/LucyKessler-IG-284x300.jpg" alt="La Roca 06 captain [player_tooltip player_id=" width="284" height="300" /> La Roca midfielder [player_tooltip player_id="27479" first="Lucy" last="Kesler"][/caption] This is a very unlucky group draw. San Diego Surf is a finalist from last season in this age group, and there is little to suggest they won't be back at that level at the end of this season. La Roca has been a fun team to watch this season. They are a punishing, attacking team that snowballs games. Penn Fusion battled and kept it competitive against every top season this season. FC Alliance is a bit of the underdog but they are unbeaten in their last five heading into the playoffs. Players to Know [player_tooltip player_id="27433" first="Isabelle" last="Devey"] (La Roca) is the creative force of her side, but [player_tooltip player_id="27479" first="Lucy" last="Kesler"] might be the most important player for this group. If Kesler can stop the Surf possession game, La Roca will have a good chance to win this group. Continuing to sing the praise of [player_tooltip player_id="19158" first="Ava" last="Schall"] as one of the best passers in the ECNL. She is great in tight spaces and continues to impress with her quality on the ball. With [player_tooltip player_id="33411" first="Brooke" last="Vogel"] seemingly promoted to the U17 team at the club, there is even more pressure on [player_tooltip player_id="25990" first="Selah" last="Koleth"] (Penn Fusion) to lead the way for her team. The attacking midfielder is a top prospect in Pennsylvania. [player_tooltip player_id="33449" first="Cayden" last="Norris"] is an all-conference goalkeeper who will be the key piece for FC Alliance during the playoffs. Group K Teams: FC Dallas (25-3-3), Crossfire Premier (19-6-4), NC Courage (13-4-5), GSA (16-10-5) This feels like a very balanced group on paper, which sounds like good news for the home team (Crossfire Premier). FC Dallas has been a tough team to knock off this season. They have only lost three times - twice were to Solar in conference play. NC Courage closed out the regular season campaign with a 1-0-2 record at the ECNL event in New Jersey, which included two games against playoff-bound teams. GSA had an up and down campaign. They showed they could compete with the top teams at Showcase events, but also had some letdown results along the way. When GSA is clicking, they are a tough team to beat. Players to Know [player_tooltip player_id="26516" first="Ava" last="McDonald"] scored two goals and had an assist from the USA U16 Women's Youth National Team during a recent trip to Europe. She is the focal point of the FC Dallas attack, and will be the player to stop for the other three sides. [player_tooltip player_id="28318" first="Makayla" last="Werner"] was the all-conference honoree from Crossfire last season, but the local team is going to need a full team effort to escape from this group. Bella Ayscue is a bright talent from the NC Courage academy. She is a midfielder who likes to control the pace of the game. She can be a defensive force and also a catalyst of the attack. With [player_tooltip player_id="21914" first="Ridley" last="Newton"] out due to injury, [player_tooltip player_id="21613" first="Carly" last="Oubs"] will be the one to watch from GSA. The versatile player will be tested against some of the best in the nation.