Girls Academy U16/U17 Standouts from Saturday

OCEANSIDE, California - The Girls Academy League playoffs kicked off for the 2006 age group on Saturday. The U16 teams were the last teams to join the party in Southern California. The opening day for the playoffs can be a wake-up call as some teams have not had much exposure to the top teams from other parts of the country. PrepSoccer highlights the standouts from some of the games in the 2006 and 2005 age groups from the playoff games on Saturday at the SoCal Sports Complex. Addy Hess, TSJ FC Virginia 06 - Hess lived up to the reputation on Saturday. The center forward already has a number of college coaches asking about her and she only added to that list with Saturday’s showing. The most impressive part of the performance for me was that Hess won most of her aerial duels. She is not a tall player. She is just very smart about timing her jump and excellent in her technique. It was her header that created the first goal. She flicked on the ball to a teammate and then did a combination to get it back and finish from the top of the box. [player_tooltip player_id="27550" first="Allie" last="Flanagan"], TSJ FC Virginia 06 - Flanagan is a 2025 so college coaches will need another year before blowing up her phone. The winger is still playing with a big brace on her knee, but it hardly slowed her down. She’s very good at creating little advantages from dribbling duels. She gets off crosses in tight spaces with remarkable accuracy and power. She did well in combining with Hess for the opening goal for TSJ FC Virginia. Layla Amaya, BVB International Academy Texas 06 - Amaya made a couple of good saves in the first half to keep her squad in it. BVB, as a whole, did well against the top team in the country in this age group. They battled for every 50/50 ball and played hard until the whistle. Aiko Rowe and Courtly Cook did well at center back. Anna Jacot played left back and provided some options in the attack when Flanagan was switched to the other side so she had less defensive responsibility. Nadia Darosa hit some good set pieces to create chances. The BVB team will be one to watch in the future as they continue to develop. Sierah McCallum, LVSA 06 - McCallum is a powerhouse on the wing. She’s fast, strong, and skillful. She is good defensively and would be an excellent fit for a high-pressing style. There is a bit of Reilyn Turner to her game, which is big shoes to fill, but she has some of those same characteristics. Liliana Schuth, LVSA 06 - Schuth made one of the best plays of the day to save a goal on Saturday. With her goalkeeper beat on the dribble, Schuth recovered to the goal line and headed a shot off the line to save a tally in the second half. She made sure the rebound didn’t sneak in either by keeping her spot on the line. Raquel Patalon was also a standout in the second half for LVSA. [caption id="attachment_48698" align="alignright" width="203"]<img class="wp-image-48698 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/KaileyCarlen-AlbionSC06-203x300.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id="33316" first="Kailey" last="Carlen"], Albion SC 06" width="203" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="33316" first="Kailey" last="Carlen"][/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="33314" first="Ashlyn" last="Puerta"], Albion SC 06 - Puerta is one of the best midfielders in the Girls Academy and she showed it on Saturday. She has great close control of the ball and excellent vision. She is a 2025 recruit so there is still a year before college coaches can start making their pitch to the attacking midfielder. She has all of the tools that make her a great fit for a possession-dominant style of play. [player_tooltip player_id="33316" first="Kailey" last="Carlen"], Albion SC 06 - Carlen stopped a penalty kick in the first half, which could have shifted the outcome of the game if LVSA had claimed that early strike. Alexa Peterson made a great diving save late in the second half to deny a shot from Patalon. Indira Naylor, Lamorinda 06 - Naylor was the best player I saw on Saturday. She looked a class above the competition as she had a number of times when she dribbled through the defense. It seemed like the only way to take the ball off of Naylor’s foot was to foul her, and the Michigan Jaguars fouled her often. She drew over a handful of fouls and a yellow card in the second half. The most impressive part of Naylor’s performance was her mental fortitude after missing a penalty kick and then responding by scoring a great goal from the run of play. Naylor is going to walk away from Saturday with a number of top programs asking about her, and rightfully so. She has some rare qualities for an attacking midfielder at the youth level. Amy Derr, a center back, was also very good for Lamorinda. Zoe Rossiter, the defensive midfielder, did really well in dictating the game. Zoe Fung, Belle Reader, [player_tooltip player_id="19766" first="Lauren" last="Zamora"], and Chayse Yu were also standouts for LaMo. [player_tooltip player_id="44306" first="Macy" last="Malecki"], Michigan Jaguars 06 - It was a tough day for the Michigan squad. They struggled to get much control of the game at times. Malecki competed in duels and made an impact in slowing down Lamorinda. Claire Casey looked promising at center back for Michigan. Ellery Boeving hit a great cross in the second half. Stephanie Leckwold, Washington Timbers 06 - I didn’t get to see much from Leckwold, but it was impressive in the brief spell I caught. She made a good save on a low, hard shot. And then she showed off good distribution from her hands. It’s easy to see why Timbers were so successful this season in conference play. [caption id="attachment_48697" align="alignleft" width="229"]<img class="wp-image-48697 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/SamiAnes-06-229x300.jpg" alt="[player_tooltip player_id="47148" first="Sami" last="Anes"], Weston FC goalkeeper" width="229" height="300" /> [player_tooltip player_id="47148" first="Sami" last="Anes"], Weston FC 06[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="47148" first="Sami" last="Anes"], Florida United 06 - Anes, a 2024 goalkeeper, had a good showing on Saturday. She has secure hands and grabbed a hard cross in traffic with no rebound. She was good at getting the ball out of her hands and to her teammates quickly. [player_tooltip player_id="42103" first="Ava" last="Priest"], Colorado Rush 06 - Priest is a defender who can do a very effective flip throw-in. She looked solid on the field and could be a center back or an outside back at the next level. She defends well and understands her role. [caption id="attachment_48696" align="alignright" width="219"]<img class="wp-image-48696 size-medium" src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2022/06/JujuHarris-219x300.jpg" alt="Julianna Harris, Florida United 05" width="219" height="300" /> JuJu Harris, Florida United 05[/caption] Julianna Harris, Florida United 05 - Juju was the best center forward that I saw on Saturday. Considering she is a 2007 playing against 2005s, it’s even more impressive. She has a strong frame and good footwork. It’s easy to see why she is already part of the Youth National Team picture. [player_tooltip player_id="20924" first="Ashley" last="Pennie"], Florida United 05 - Pennie, a 2024 recruit, plays with happy feet. She is always on her toes and bouncing. She has really improved her quality defensively. She is putting in tackles and winning the ball in the center of the field. She has always been great on the ball and continues to link well with her teammates. Kimmi Ascanio was a standout in the midfield too. Gianna Reich, a 2025 recruit, scored twice for Florida United. Adele Faller, Utah Celtic 06 - Faller and Celtic are playing in the showcase event, but she made a remarkable play on Saturday as she chased down a forward on a breakaway and then made a clean slide tackle to block the shot. [player_tooltip player_id="45390" first="Anisha" last="Willis"], Century V 06 - Willis also caught my eye while walking past her field. She buried a shot into the upper corner of the net after a slick move to fool the defender. It was quite a skillful display for a defender.