Girls Academy Winter Showcase 2024/2025s Shine
The Girls Academy Winter Showcase kicked off from Mesa, Arizona on Thursday. The U17 age group was in the spotlight as those teams were featured on the fields with the live stream. From the action, there were some familiar standouts…
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Continue ReadingThe Girls Academy Winter Showcase kicked off from Mesa, Arizona on Thursday. The U17 age group was in the spotlight as those teams were featured on the fields with the live stream. From the action, there were some familiar standouts as well as new names that made an impact.
Taylor Lewin, Tophat – Lewin and Tophat had their way with the opener as they picked up a comfortable win. Lewin showed her quality once again. She is a forward who is a play-maker. Her pace was too much for the opposition and she finished off chances when she broke through. She was also excellent at dropping off from the front line and facing up goal and creating for her teammates. Sarah Houston was a standout for Tophat as well.
Tuscany Khachab, Tophat – Khachab provided excellent service on set pieces for Tophat. During the run of play, she was involved in the attack and was always showing for the ball.
Neely Kerr, Tophat SC – Kerr, the defensive midfielder, had a standout performance in the opening game. She was always in the right spot, made some key passes, and controlled the pace of the game.
Brooke Edwards, IMG Academy – Edwards scored a fantastic goal in the game against CUP. She did well in turning with a defender on her back and then smashing the chance home from inside of the box. Edwards is a top attacking talent from the uncommitted 2024 group.
Carla Small, IMG Academy – Small is one of the top left backs in the nation. Her best attributes are in possession, which is going to make her a highly sought-after recruit from some of the top programs. She is an exceptional passer for the position – her key pass metric is off the charts good for a left back. She is improving her duels with wingers, but there is also room to improve there as she takes on vbigger, faster players. Left winger Chloe Shimkin had some standout moments as well.
Savannah Conner, CUP – Conner was a handful in the attack. She created chances out of nothing. She has breakaway pace and quality on the ball. She can play as either a center forward or as a winger. She also offers a long throw-in for her side as an extra weapon in the final third. She also took the corner kicks for her side. Conner is a new name to put on the radar after this event.
Taylor Allen, IMG – Allen was a constant threat on the wing. The recent West Virginia verbal commit showed her quality as she tested the CUP backline with her intelligent runs and pace. She also did well in tracking back to help the defense. Allen has the tools to be an early standout at the next level.
Norah Abbott, IMG – Abbott has a lot of elements to her game that make her an elite recruit. She is a defensive midfielder for this IMG Academy U17 squad. She is great at reading the game and getting into the right spots to support her team. When she wins possession of the ball, she is quick to look for her attacking wingers to spring the attack. She did not shy away from aerial duels and did well in protecting the back four by intercepting long clearances. Abbott had a couple of stray passes, but the overall potential is there for a top midfielder.
Paige Dornheggen, CUP – The CUP goalkeeper was pretty active in the game against IMG. She did well off her line and a had a couple of great blocks on close shots. She was also good on crosses with a couple of punches in traffic. She’s super comfortable off her line and good with her feet.
Carly Tranter, CUP – Tranter was very good at center back for Cincinnati. She was strong in the tackle and made a few stops to end a move from IMG. She has the foot speed to matchup well with attackers. She is tough in the tackle and a sharp passer. Tranter is a top center back from Ohio in this class.
Lauren Flax, CUP – Flax is a magician on the ball. She can make defenders dance because she is good with both feet. Her sharp cuts on the ball put defenders on their heels. She hit a shot off the crossbar in the second half with I believe her weak foot. Flax is a top talent.
Ashlyn Puerta Ashlyn Puerta M #14 Nation CA , Albion SC – With US Soccer scouts looking on, Puerta once again put on a show. The attacking midfielder from Albion was slicing apart the Florida United defense with her passing and movement. Nia Vela was a bright spot for Albion too.
Krista Tehan, TSJ FC Virginia – Tehan dominated the midfield and controlled possession in the win over Dash Academy. Allie Flanagan, Addy Hess, Daphne Stupec, and Madison Toone scored a goal each.
Ayana Yapo, SC del Sol – Yapo was aggressive off her line and confident in coming out to collect the ball. The goalkeeper showed off good hands to secure the ball in traffic. She also made a couple of good diving saves in the first half against Real Jersey.
Caroline Boeckman, SC del Sol – Boeckman, one of the captains of her side, had a strong game at defensive midfield. She was in the right spots to control the pace of play. She connected passes and put in tackles.
Makenna Liebman, SC del Sol – Liebman delivered the perfect set piece from a corner kick in the first half against Real Jersey. She was sharp on the ball as a box-to-box midfielder. She did well in the build-up in making quick decisions.
Morgan Kotch, Real Jersey – Kotch was really impressive against SC del Sol. She was strong on the ball and withstood multiple defenders on her back. She showed good technical ability when she turned to face the goal. Kotch is one to watch from this team.
Jessica Bedolla, SC del Sol – The SC del Sol forward, playing with a cast, was a handful for the Real Jersey defense. She was excellent in the combination play as she found teammates quickly and then worked to get the ball back. The second goal for SC del Sol was a sublime header from the forward.