First day standouts from GA playoffs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Girls Academy Playoffs began on Wednesday morning as top teams from around the country gathered in Southern California at the Silver Lakes Sports Complex in Norco. With countless college coaches in attendance, the excellent talent was on full display.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='174368' first='Valeria' last='Alcala'], Attacking Midfielder, Silicon Valley SA, California</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alcala was a difference making No. 10 in the first day match for SVSA as she scored on a free kick against FC United. She showed a terrific engine, playing with agility and quickness and being a driving force at the No. 10 spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peyton Buffaloe, Central Defender, Wake FC, North Carolina</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Buffaloe was a driving force in the back line for Wake FC in their 2-1 win over Beadling. She is the commander in the back, communicating and keeping the team organized. She plays with physicality and aggression and she made it hard on attacking players all afternoon long with her ability to disrupt in the final third.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mary Kate Debono, Defensive Midfielder, STA, New Jersey</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>STA started the day with a 2-0 win over Spokane Sounders, and the clean sheet is in large part to Debono. She was a very disruptive force in the No. 6 spot, as she was relentless. She seemed to stymie every attack, step in front of every ball and when she did, she was very good at transitioning quickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jocelynn Malagan, Keeper, Silicon Valley SA, California</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Malagan stepped up for SVSA, keeping her club in the match with several terrific saves. She showed the ability to read attackers, make smart decisions and react quickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kate Reigle, Outside Defender, STA, New Jersey</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reigle got her first shot with the A team, moving up from the B team, and did not disappoint. The right back acquitted herself nicely and adapt to the speed of play, as she was very good at joining the attack while also winning balls in the air, defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='99856' first='Olivia' last='Robinson'], Forward, STA, New Jersey</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Robinson was a handful for Spokane Sounders as she posed a constant threat. She was very dominant in her 1v1 moments, and she continued to put herself into goal-scoring situations. She moved very well off the ball and continued to find vacated pockets of space.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brynnli Tolbert, Forward, Florida United, Florida</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tolbert featured at the No. 7 spot for Florida United and was a force. She was tough to deal with on the outside as she displayed speed, explosion and footwork. With excellent technical skills, Tolbert was able to be a wide threat and send several dangerous crosses into the box.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->