Five Keepers from the South you need to know

Perhaps it is something in the water in the South, but it would appear that region produces excellent goalkeepers. There are many excellent players, and many excellent keepers specifically, but there are five girls from Florida, Georgia and North Carolina that are gaining attention and have really been standing out.   [player_tooltip player_id='21470' first='Anna' last='Claire Jacobi'], Keeper, Cambridge, Class of 2024   Jacobi is a very inspiring story. She was the only keeper on the Concorde Fire Platinum 06 ECNL a few years ago, and had been to two US Youth National Team training centers before she started high school. She really seemed on her way to being a young star. During a scrimmage her freshman year, she tore her ACL. She missed her freshman and sophomore high school seasons and the following ECNL season, which was a big time for showcases. She worked hard on her rehab, got stronger, played ODP and eventually returned to her club during the National playoffs and did not allow a goal until the Round of 16. She had fallen off the radar of recruiters, but worked very hard to get back on the radar and kept getting more and more interest before committing to Appalachian State. Jacobi is clearly a very hard worker, she is brave in the face of danger and adversity. She competes as hard as anyone, yet remains composed. She is a confident, dynamic and athletic keeper who deserves everything she has received. On Monday night, Jacobi's Cambridge team advanced to the Elite 8 of the George 5A playoffs and she will face a Chamblee team that features many of her Concorde teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id='104976' first='Cassidy' last='Kirkley'], Keeper, Viera, Class of 2027   Kirkley is certainly precocious. Not even a freshman yet, she plays on the 2008 Space Coast United ECNL-R team, and even plays up on the 2007 team sometimes. She helped her 2008 team clinch the Florida Division and earn a spot in the Southeast Championships in Greensboro this June. She will be a freshman at Viera High in the fall and compete to be the starting keeper. Kirkley is a very aggressive and energetic keeper, always communicating with her defenders and keeping the back line aware and organized. She is a very competitive player when she is on the pitch, but also very coachable when it comes to training and improving.   Avery Sanders, Keeper, Myers Park, Class of 2027   Sanders is just an eighth grader at Randolph Middle School, and will be attending Myers Park High in the Fall. She is from Charlotte, North Carolina and she is in her first year of Club Soccer, playing for the Charlotte Soccer Academy. She plays for the 2009 USYS Competitive team and has also played up for the 2008's for an Elite 64 match with CSA. She has been encouraged to try out for ECNL/ECRL teams with CSA. Sanders is a converted field player, having played forward and center back, and found her spot when she filled in as a keeper in her recreational league. What is impressive about a player as young as Sanders is she is very communicative and remains very focused on the pitch. She is very competitive, very aggressive and fearless in goal. She is coming into her own as a top keeper in North Carolina.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/04/IMG_4136-crop-944x620-1681819182.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-132408"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Sanders Family</figcaption></figure>   Ella Sellers, Keeper, Jefferson, Class of 2025   Sellers is a sophomore at Jefferson High in Georgia where she is a standout keeper. She plays club for the United Futbol Academy, playing for the 2007 ECNL team. Sellers has not started the recruiting process yet, because her window opens in June, but she is likely to attract a lot of attention. She is incredibly dedicated to her craft and people take notice of that. She works hard, she is driven and does exactly what you want a keeper to do. She communicates well with her defenders, she is disciplined and composed. On top of that, Sellers is a very technical player, comfortable with the ball at her feet and she is very dynamic.   [player_tooltip player_id='59469' first='Taylor' last='Williams'], Keeper, Hoggard, Class of 2025   The ECNL player for the Wilmington Hammerheads U16 ECNL team is heading to San Diego for the National playoffs in June after finishing first in the Mid-Atlantic Division. She allowed four goals all season. Williams, who plays for Hoggard High in North Carolina, is an impressive keeper. She is incredibly determined and is a very passionate player who plays decisively and plays fearlessly. She is a keeper that will make sacrifices for her team to keep her opponent off the score sheet. She communicates very well, and through her leadership she is very encouraging of her teammates.

Perhaps it is something in the water in the South, but it would appear that region produces excellent goalkeepers. There are many excellent players, and many excellent keepers specifically, but there are five girls from Florida, Georgia and North Carolina that are gaining attention and have really been standing out.