Rankings Analysis: Best midfielders from PA’s 2027 Class
USE PROMO CODE JR30 for a discount on your first PrepSoccer Subscription The PrepSoccer State Rankings for Pennsylvania’s 2027 Class were released this week. Check out the full list here. Learn more about the rankings process here. The freshman group…
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The PrepSoccer State Rankings for Pennsylvania’s 2027 Class were released this week. Check out the full list here. Learn more about the rankings process here.
The freshman group for Pennsylvania features some of the best talent from the Girls Academy and ECNL across the country. Below is a scouting report on some of the names to know from this group.
Maher is one of the midfielder on the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 09 GA team. She was a standout for her recent play at the Champions Cup event in Southern California. The Ukies midfielders all have similar traits, which makes them such a formidable trio. Maher is a great two-way player. Quick to play out of pressure and excellent at getting to open spots to help her team. She is capable of playing in tight spaces, which suggest she will do well in the future when space and time on the ball is limited. She has been part of US Soccer Talent ID events in the past.
Yezik is a midfielder on the FC Delco 09 ECNL team. She is a defensive midfielder and team captain. Yezik is a highly decorated player with call-ups to the US Youth National Team Talent ID events as well as the ODP National Team. She is dual-sport athlete as well. She plays AAU basketball. Yezik is a top player in this class. She is a great at protecting the defense and cutting out passes. One the ball, she rarely gets caught in possession. She is always thinking a play or two ahead of the game. She can hit the long pass with accuracy and also find the safe outlet when the defense backs off. She is great at identifying the holes in the opposition and orchestrates the play for her team.
Highlights
Rick is an attacking midfielder on the Penn Fusion 09 ECNL team. She is part of the US Soccer Talent ID events in the past. She plays through the center channel for Fusion and is a key focus for their style of play. She is good in the press as she creates turnovers and forces the opposition into traps. Rick really shines when the ball is on the ground and she can slice apart the defense. She is an excellent passer – good at seeing angles and putting the forward in behind the defense or picking out the run of the winger. She is highly rated as a top prospect in the region by Youth National Team scouts and her play early in the ECNL season has backed up that assessment.
Powenski is a defensive midfielder for Penn Fusion. There is a lot to like about Powenski’s game. It starts with her on-ball qualities. Her skill on the ball is definitely noteworthy for the position. She is smooth in her movement and confident on either foot – I’m guessing she is a good indoor soccer player. She can get a bit brazen with possession and try to take on too many players. Even with the occasional dazzling displays, Powenski offers a quality to progress the ball up the field that not many players in that role do successfully consistently. Defensively, she’s tough to beat. She moves her feet well and rarely gets caught on her heels. She has big time potential.
Highlights
Bayly is listed as a forward on her player profile, but I saw her play in the midfield for Penn Fusion 09 ECNL. She was playing as a defensive midfielder and did well in that role in anticipation and ability to retain possession for her side. Bayly is also a target on set pieces for her side. She often wins aerial duels. She could improve on her comfort using her left foot as she tends to rely on her right when crowded. She’s got a clean touch with her left so it’s just a confidence to use it more when needed would elevate her game. She reads the game well and gets into the right spots and utilized that to score a goal recently by getting onto the end of a cross.
Berk is a midfielder for Penn Fusion 09 ECNL. She plays as one of the attacking midfielders for the side – often on the right. Berk seems more like a box-to-box midfielder. She has a well-rounded game and can honestly do everything. There are points of the game when she will switch with a teammate to cover a spot because she anticipates where the opposition will be looking to go with their next pass. I thought her effort was really impressive too when she stopped a counter with her long tracking run. Berk does a lot of the little things that contribute to winning soccer – even if it doesn’t always show up in the box score.
Bakley is a midfielder on the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 09 GA team. She is an excellent two-way player. She has been part of the US U14 Girls National Team at the regional level. She has the quality to be on the full national team. She’s right footed but good with either foot. Her ability to deceive with her slip pass with the outside of the foot is an elite attribute. She plays with her head and is confident on the ball. She had a moment in the third game of the Champions Cup recently when she picked off a pass, played a quick 1-2 to her center forward, dodged the defender trying to foul her, and then made the 65 yard run into the oppositions box to get off the shot. The only negative was she looked gassed at the end of the run and her shot wasn’t up to her own high standards. Given that it was the third game in four days, there’s definitely a reason to understand why she came up short of finishing the move. Bakley is a top player in the class and every game she brings that high level on the field.
Highlights
Hajnosz is an attacking midfielder for Century United. She was a standout from Century’s game against SVSA at the Winter Showcase. She is excellent when she is on the ball. She can hit pretty much any pass and has the vision to see angles that many players miss. Hajnosz also has the quality to hit a good shot from outside of the box. The midfielder has been part of US ODP Interregional events in the past, and continues to show she should be considered among the best in the region.
Sleicher was recently profiled for her standout play at the Girls Academy Champions Cup in Southern California. The midfielder is an excellent playmaker. She can shine in the transition and on the counter – and she’s just as good breaking down a low block defense. Sleicher is a top player from Pennsylvania.
Highlights
King is a box-to-box midfielder or defensive midfielder for PA Classics 09 GA. King was part of the GA Talent ID last year. This season, she’s been impressive as a two-way player for PA Classics. She shines in her approach on the ball. She does well receiving the ball in a way to open herself to the most open space. She does so well in setting up that first touch to put herself in a spot to see her teammates and the field. King could improve on her accuracy of passing. She had a couple of attempted ambitious passes from the games I saw that did not find a teammate. The ideas tend to be good and the potential is there for a top midfielder.
Malley is an attacking midfielder for the Century United 09 GA team. She showed off good skill and quick feet during the recent Girls Academy Winter Showcase in Southern California. She can play on the wing too, but her soccer intelligence is probably best used through the center of the field. She’s one to watch from this class.
Highlights
Mischler is a midfielder for PA Classics 09 GA. She is a skillful player with good footwork. She is comfortable on either foot. She does well in checking her shoulders and scanning the field before receiving the ball. Mischler has player well this season in GA games and earned a spot in the state rankings.