Standouts at ECNL New Jersey Showcase: Forwards
In this article:
Players Development Academy hosted a girls ECNL showcase over Memorial Day Weekend in Somerset, N.J. I was able to watch several games at the Morningside Farm and PDA Complex on Saturday. Here’s a look at some of the forwards that…
Access all of Prep Soccer
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingPlayers Development Academy hosted a girls ECNL showcase over Memorial Day Weekend in Somerset, N.J. I was able to watch several games at the Morningside Farm and PDA Complex on Saturday. Here’s a look at some of the forwards that stood out to me at the event.
U17
Sophia Bradley
Sophia
Bradley
F
Wayne Hills (NJ) | 2024
State
#32
Nation
NJ
, Forward, PDA Blue U17
Bradley has all the gifts to be a talented forward, but what stood out most to me was her creativity in the runs she was making, which was giving fits to the FC Prime defense in PDA’s 3-1 win.
Hope Leyba
Hope
Leyba
F
Boulder Creek (AZ) | 2023
State
#103
Nation
AZ
, Forward, Utah Royals U17
Hope Leyba was a weapon for the Royals going forward and presented some mismatches defensively in the game against FC Bucks on Saturday but her defensive effort is what impressed me most.
Marley Kahle
Marley
Kahle
F
South Oldham | 2023
KY
, Forward, Racing Louisville U17
Kahle and
Amelia Jones
Amelia
Jones
F
KY
did well combining and putting the defense under pressure in a 4-1 win over Santa Rosa United on Saturday. Kahle’s vision and ability not only to create shots for herself but also for teammates stood out.
Amelia Jones
Amelia
Jones
F
KY
, Forward, Racing Louisville U17
Like Kahle, Jones was a handful for the Santa Rosa United defense winning 50-50 balls, taking defenders on and creating chances.
U16
Gabriella Miller
Gabriella
Miller
M
Seneca | 2024
NJ
, Forward/Winger, PDA South U16
Miller scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Florida Elite on Saturday as a result of her hard work down the left flank. Her ability to fight for the ball in tight spaces and out-duel defenders stood out to me.
Chloe Burst
Chloe
Burst
F
LA
, Forward, Challenge SC U16
It’s hard to draw too many conclusions from the messy field conditions, but Burst was a bright spot in the 5-2 win for Challenge SC. She has a strong left foot and a quick trigger.
Emma Rietz
Emma
Rietz
F
Foothill (NV) | 2024
NV
, Forward, Heat FC U16
Heat FC and Challenge SC were involved in the wildest game I saw on Saturday. It was a back-and-forth affair that Challenge SC won 5-2 but that was really a win most of all for the poor field conditions. The ball was skipping and stopping and players were slipping and sliding all over. One player who stood out for Heat FC was Rietz, who was able to have a decent game despite the conditions.
U15
Madeline Marcotte, Midfielder/Forward, Pittsburgh Riverhounds U15
Marcotte scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over East Meadow on Saturday but it was her overall movement on and off the ball and ability to use both feet that stood out most to me.
Mikyla Hau-Golden, Forward, Cleveland Force U15
Mikyla was a strong presence on the front line for the Force and was dangerous going forward in transition whether taking it herself or finding a teammate to run onto a pass. Her hold-up play when she came back to get the ball was also effective.
Alexandra Dreihaup
Alexandra
Dreihaup
F
Cumberland Valley | 2025
State
PA
, Forward, Penn Fusion U15
Alexandra was active throughout the match and perhaps unlucky to not get a goal when she put one on target from way out that NC Courage goalkeeper Franky Dunlap was able to get a hand to and knock out for a corner. Alexandra’s movement on the ball and ability to find space on her runs and fearlessness to take on defenders stood out.