ECNL NC- Best individual performances from the 09s

The last ECNL Showcase of the 2023/2024 club season wrapped up on Sunday. The event was a good precursor to the summer showcase/playoffs, which kick off in only a few weeks from Seattle. There were a few teams that came out of the North Carolina event with a perfect record from the action. Below is a scouting report on the top performances from those teams.    Scored the opening goal against CESA on an Olimpico, directly from a corner kick. Forney playing on the right wing was a treat. She showed off her dynamic quality on the ball. Her feet are fast and she is strong on the ball - both those traits were on full display as she dominated the right side of the field. She created chances on the dribble and with her passing. Forney has big time qualities and was a key piece of the Bucks 3-0 weekend.     Lanza was a standout at center back for FC Bucks in the win over CESA. She anchored the defense that only allowed one goal during the three games. Lanza's tough tackling and great anticipation were excellent in the games. Lanza also offered some excellent service from free kicks - as well as some key passes. She has the mentality of a player who could shine at defensive midfield as well. Kristin Philip was also a standout in the center back role for FC Bucks.     Jablonowski is a talented winger who had an impressive performance against CESA. She showed off her quality with a left footed finish in the first half on a goal. She can play on either side of the formation. She played with her head up and found good passes to work out of pressure and keep possession for her side. Her pace and skill make her a difference-maker at the highest level.     Lyons was one of the standouts in the midfield for Bucks. She showed good quality on the play and played with poise and composure. [player_tooltip player_id='265569' first='Peyton' last='Rabinowitz'] impressed with her passing and control of the ball. She did well in picking out her teammates and creating chances.     The FC Bucks goalkeeper showed good foot skills in the first against against CESA. She didn't have to make many saves, but she was involved in the game as an active organizer and option for distribution. She was off her line and cut out any pass over the top. Hyams was a key player for the successful weekend for Bucks. Caroline Graham was also in goal for FC Bucks.     Izzy Diaz is listed as a midfielder on her player profile because she is so versatile. I saw her in the right back spot early on against CESA. The play she made about 10 minutes into the game raised my eyebrows. Diaz was up the field on a corner kick or some other set piece situation. Her side lost possession of the ball. Diaz's mark was about eight yards ahead of her charging toward goal. She put her head down and sprinted to make up the ground and stop the counter. She ended the play with a brilliant slide-tackle. Diaz is one to put on the radar for the upcoming postseason events.     Grex played as the defensive midfielder for Arizona Arsenal in the win over Michigan Hawks. I thought she was stellar in her positioning and tackling. She helped control and dictate the game with her tactical brilliance. She buried a free kick for the first goal of the game. Grex showed some versatility in her game in other moments in the game. She drifted wide to start the transition and she covered players to man-mark as well. There is a lot to like about her game currently and a high ceiling for her potential in the future.     Lewis impressed in the attack for Arizona Arsenal. She is a high activity forward. She is nonstop with her energy but it's purposeful in how she moves. There is an element of clarity in some of the chaos. When she is on the ball, she is direct in her approach. She combines well with her teammates and makes excellent decisions on the ball. Lewis showed that she is among the best forwards in the class of 2028 from the West at this event. [player_tooltip player_id='169151' first='Piper' last='Garvin'] was also one of the best among the 2028s at this event.       Winstead and the Arsenal defense did not give up a goal during the three games at the Showcase. That said, I was actually more impressed with her distribution. She was great at recognizing when to get the ball out of her hands early to her teammates and when to hold onto the ball and control the pace of the game. She did well playing off her line too and used her feet to clear some chances sent over the top of the defense. Winstead impressed with her excellent understanding of the position and game knowledge at the event.     The aforementioned Arsenal defense had a highlight-reel worthy showing at the event with three shutouts. Anderson, the left back, deserves some of the spotlight for making a few key plays early on the win against Michigan Hawks. She had a key interception and a crucial block. [player_tooltip player_id='112232' first='Mia' last='Adams'], [player_tooltip player_id='112237' first='Sophia' last='Knox'], and [player_tooltip player_id='112238' first='Jordyn' last='Laris'] were also standouts in the defense. [player_tooltip player_id='112232' first='Mia' last='Adams'] and [player_tooltip player_id='112237' first='Sophia' last='Knox'] had a terrific pairing at center back. Laris did exceptionally well at right back.     Pratt, the US Youth National Team player, was outstanding for Utah Royals FC-AZ. She played in the center of the defense and had a number of highlight worthy plays in the win over FL Premier FC. It might seem inconsequential, but Pratt's ability to strike the ball out of the air stood out compared to her peers. When the ball was at the height that many players would've been probably using their shinguards to trap the ball, Pratt was volleying the ball out of danger. There is a high level of skill required to confidently do that in a game, and she clearly has that. Her slide tackle in the second half against FL Premier was picture perfect. She's a big time prospect from Arizona.     Panayi is a midfielder on the Utah Royals AZ. Her game is at the best when the ball is on the ground and her quick feet and dribbling skills shine. Panayi relies on her quickness and smarts to shine on the field, and that was on full display against FL Premier.     Larrahona was outstanding for FL Premier. She was impactful as a two-way player. She did well defensively in her tackles and hounded some of the top midfielders in the country. On the ball, she was difficult to dispossess and made good decisions with her passing. She had a stellar outing in the loss to Utah Royals AZ.     Boyd is a winger on the Maryland United squad. She scored a wonderful goal in the win over Tampa Bay United. On the left, she cut in and used her right to hit a rocket over the goalkeeper and under the crossbar. The attacker is explosive on the ball and hard to contain in 1v1 situations with her ability to use either foot and keep close control of the ball.     Orso is the defensive midfielder for Maryland United, which went 3-0 at the event. Orso had an uneven start in the game against Tampa Bay United. She got caught in possession once and had a silly giveaway. She settled into the game well and wiped away those mistakes - a sign of tough mental fortitude. Her response and ability to elevate her game to the competition was very impressive. She was instrumental in her team's opening goal as she made the key interception to spring the transition. She only grew in confidence from there as she completely took over the center of the field and dictated the game from that point forward. She had some excellent passes that showed her quality on the ball and vision.

The last ECNL Showcase of the 2023/2024 club season wrapped up on Sunday. The event was a good precursor to the summer showcase/playoffs, which kick off in only a few weeks from Seattle. There were a few teams that came out of the North Carolina event with a perfect record from the action. Below is a scouting report on the top performances from those teams.