ECNL NC - Standouts from the 08 age group

The ECNL National Event in North Carolina wrapped up on Sunday. The event was a big showcase for the 2026 class as June 15 is just over a week away. With hundreds of college coaches in attendance, there was plenty on the line. Below are the individual standouts from the top teams at the event in the 2008 age group.    Martens really impressed me with her performance against NC Courage at the event. She looked like she should be on the Youth National Team. Excellent ball control, decisive actions, and a lethal finisher with any chance. Martens buried the opening goal early on in that game, and kept the pressure on Courage as she looked to score or create another for her side.      McNish is a big miss from the Prep Soccer National Rankings as she looked like one of the best players at the event in any class. The FC Stars Blue center back was dominant in the win over NC Courage. She plays as the center back in a back three formation. TMaggie Blosser and Ruby Mathis were the starters alongside her against Courage. They were all terrific. McNish's complete profile and elite athleticism makes her a top target from the 2026 class and she showed it against the best at the ECNL NC Showcase. Her ability to anticipate the pass, win the ball cleanly, and dribble into the attacking half with her head up looking to quickly strike for her side makes her such a valuable weapon on the field.      Gregorski was always in the right spot at the right time to make the winning play against NC Courage. The NC Courage was a fascinating match-up for Stars as the local team plays with a ton of positional flexibility and tried to make them uncomfortable and unbalanced. Gregorski did well in always scanning and communicating with her teammates. Her positioning became key as she was the lynchpin for the midfield later in the half. She handled the role well and made it a tough day for a talent Courage side. Chloe Leng and Lily Blosser were also standouts for Stars.      Kowlski was one of the standouts on the FC Stars White team on the weekend. The attacker was dynamic on the ball and showed off impressive footwork with a couple of dazzling dribbling displays against Davis Legacy. She did getting off quick shots in traffic. The ability to shine even when crowded by multiple defenders really stood out from the game film and showcases the high-level potential that Kowlski has.      Stouch was another bright spot of the FC Stars White attack. The wing showcased her speed and determination on the weekend as she chipped in with two goals and an assist in the three games. She is lethal in 1v1 duels as she uses her body well to shield possession of the ball and bursts into the open field when she gets past her mark. Stouch looks like a prospect to know from the 2027 class.      Price was a bright spot of the midfield for FC Stars White. The defensive midfielder had a good read on the game and controlled the tempo of the game in the victory over Davis Legacy. She did well in anticipating when to step up to join the attack and offered a couple of shots on target early on in the contest.      Chase and the FC Stars White defense finished the weekend with 0 goals allowed from the three games. The goalkeeper was good in the victory over Davis Legacy. She did well in handling crosses and showed good instincts with distribution.      Richter was superb in the first half against De Anza Force. The midfielder for Koge did not put a foot wrong except in the moment when she suffered a late tackle and had to limp for a minute. Otherwise, she was precise and surgical with her play. She had a number of key passes and a couple of wonderful dribbling displays.      Malinoski continues to prove she is one of the best players in the country in the 08 age group. Slammers Koge has utilized her as an attacking midfielder and it's unleashed a creativity and tactical brilliance to her game. Watching Malinoski off the ball in transition is where she shines, she is always communicating and demonstrating for her teammates where to play the pass because she is thinking two passes ahead. She was dominant in the victory over De Anza Force.      De Filippo was a standout in the defense for Slammers Koge 08 in the win over De Anza Force. She had a number of key plays including some tackles to prevents breakaways. She did well in possession and showed a strong all-around game against some top attacking talent.      Gonzalez made a couple of quality saves in the first half in the shutout over De Anza Force. She recorded the shutout victory as her squad finish the event with a 3-0 record.     Probably overlooked as part of her game, but Churchill's set piece delivery especially on corner kicks was consistently excellent and set up the first goal from [player_tooltip player_id='82520' first='Zoie' last='Fontenot'] against De Anza Force.      Raskin scored a wonderful goal for FC Prime, which went 3-0 at the event. The midfielder was a key player for the Florida side and she showed off her skill and flair on the ball against some of the top teams in the country. Mia Conard and Chloe Measel were also standouts in the midfield for FC Prime.     <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/BiancaRaskin14/status/1797425612430229568 </div></figure>

The ECNL National Event in North Carolina wrapped up on Sunday. The event was a big showcase for the 2026 class as June 15 is just over a week away. With hundreds of college coaches in attendance, there was plenty on the line. Below are the individual standouts from the top teams at the event in the 2008 age group.