Elite level girls teams standing out at Northwest Elite FC

There is something special happening at Northwest Elite FC. The Portland-based club has new leadership on the girls side, has great coaching and great talent and good things are happening all around. In particular, the girls 2006, 2005, and 2003/2004 teams are performing at a high level in the ECNL with Champion’s League a possibility for all three teams. The elite level girls teams are now led by a familiar name in the soccer world, as Tiffeny Milbrett took over as the Director of Coaching in March of this year. Milbrett came to Northwest Elite after her stint as the DOC at Tampa Bay United. Milbrett’s name should sound familiar to those in the soccer world, as she had 206 caps for the US Women’s National Team, taking part in three Olympics, winning a Gold medal in 1996, and winning the World Cup in 1999. She also played professionally all over the world, including in the US, Canada, Sweden, and Japan. The three teams mentioned above are having fine seasons, and recently had the good fortune of a very unique experience. A combination of players from those three teams played in an exhibition match against the USWNT U16 team on April 16. "It was a great opportunity," Milbrett said. "It was great for the players and parents to witness the talent and ability of a US Women’s National Team. It was a wonderful learning experience." The 2003/2004 team is led by coach Jon Kiester and that team has many, many talented players who will be playing soccer at the next level. At the time of this article, three players are standing out with their recent play. <strong>Lindsey Antonsen, Forward</strong> Antonsen was a prolific goal scorer in high school despite being the top target for other teams to shut down when facing her. She is the OSAA Oregon High School all-time leading goal scorer. For Northwest Elite, she is a team captain and she is also committed to playing at Oregon State. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33197" first="Asia" last="Hardin"], Central Defender</strong> Hardin joins Antonsen as a team captain and is a true leader on the pitch, as well as off the pitch. She is instrumental in the team’s success as a hard-working defender. She is the kind of leader that leads by example and she is a vocal leader. She is committed to playing at Western Washington. [caption id="attachment_46082" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/05/Abby-Pressnell-crop-428x281-1653497194.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-46082" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/05/Abby-Pressnell-crop-428x281-1653497194-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>Abby Pressnell.</strong><em> Photo: Joseph Forbish jforbishphoto.com</em>[/caption] <strong>Abby Pressnell, Keeper</strong> Pressnell is incredibly valuable and vital to Northwest Elite’s 03/04 team. She is one of the team leaders and shows fantastic shot-stopping ability. Pressnell participated in the US Soccer U20 National Team pool and is a commit at the University of Portland. The 2005 girls team, in the midst of a great season, is led by Kyle Gouveia and also boasts a ton of talent. Three players, in particular, have either committed or have colleges knocking on their door, and have really stood out with their play lately. [caption id="attachment_46084" align="alignleft" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/05/Veronica-Bianco-crop-1585x1041-1653497304.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-46084" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/05/Veronica-Bianco-crop-1585x1041-1653497304-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>Veronica Bianco. </strong>Photo:<em> Joseph Forbish jforbishphoto.com</em>[/caption] <strong>Veronica Bianco, Attacking Midfielder</strong> Bianco has committed to Colorado College and was a great find for that program. She is great technically and can create as well as score. Bianco is a very smart player who understands her role, but as a student of the game is constantly adding to her repertoire and improving. She is a vocal leader, on and off the pitch, she has scored many goals from distance this season, and coming off an ACL injury, she hasn’t missed a beat. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="39040" first="Olivia" last="Lukrofka"], Forward</strong> Lukrofka plays on the right side, and is a unique right winger because she is left-footed. She is the team’s top scorer and is at her best when she has the ball at her feet and is isolated in a 1v1 situation. She has a great curling shot and has scored goals from 40+ yards this season. She has a great ability to unlock in tight spaces and that helps her create chances for herself. She also has the incredible ability to offer service to teammates as her specialty is whipping balls into the box with a cross as well as her curling shot on goal. She is being sought after by a number of colleges. <strong>Emma Sanchez, Central Defender</strong> Sanchez is a quick and smart center back who is nimble on the ball. She reads the game very well, is very capable in the air, and leads the back line in terms of dictating play when building out of the back. She is able to keep the ball when pressed, as well as showing the ability to unlock on the dribble. She has great range in her passing ability and is rarely outpaced on the break. Sanchez is committed to Louisville. Gouveia also leads the 2006 team, which also is having a very good season. These are names that recruiters will want to know heading into the key recruiting period for the 06 players, and many of them will find homes with college programs. [caption id="attachment_46086" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/05/Abby-Dombrow-crop-1403x921-1653497388.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-46086" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/05/Abby-Dombrow-crop-1403x921-1653497388-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>Abby Dombrow.</strong> Photo:<em> Joseph Forbish jforbishphoto.com</em>[/caption] <strong>Abby Dombrow, Central Midfielder</strong> Dombrow is a box-to-box No. 8. She has great skills, and what will stand out to college recruiters is her college-level range in distribution. She is a strong, athletic player who is great in the air. She is great on the ball, great with the dribble, and has pinpoint accuracy when delivering a ball across the field. She is also a very versatile player, who can play the No. 6 but really shines when she can get in front of the goal. She is a capable goal scorer when she is not doing the dirty work and distributing. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="33439" first="Lola" last="Pierce"], Attacking Midfielder</strong> Pierce is a dynamic No. 19 who is more of an offensive player but is not afraid and is very capable of dropping back and defending. Recruiters will notice her college-level quickness. She is clever on the ball, very deceptive with her movements, and can get through 2-3 defenders and create for herself or others. She has scored 18 goals this season and can score from distance or clinically from close range. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="38768" first="Kenley" last="Whittaker"], Forward</strong> Whittaker, who plays on the left side, is an elite and dynamic goal scorer. She has 20 goals so far this season. She has off-the-charts athleticism and shows the ability to score with her head and run past defenders, or dribble past them and get a shot off. On top of that, she is a very industrious, hard-working player who outworks everyone in training or at games. She will attract plenty of attention from recruiters this summer.