Southern California soon to be flooded with GA talent

The Girls Academy Playoffs and Showcase take place in Riverside County, California this week and teams from all over the country will be in Norco at the Silver Lakes Soccer Complex. With talent from all over the country, this is a great opportunity for players to stand out and teams to achieve glory. Here are 11 players to start off our series of previews leading up to Wednesday, with plenty more previews coming before then.   [player_tooltip player_id='54211' first='Lila' last='Conroy'], Central Midfielder, City SC, California   Conroy is from Carlsbad, a beautiful area just north of San Diego, and plays at City SC for the 2007 team. The left-footed Central Midfielder is already committed to St. Josephs University in Philadelphia. She is what you want from a No. 8. She goes box to box, she understands space as she knows how to find it and how to use it. She operates well in tight areas, turning quickly and finding teammates who are making wide runs as she gets the ball out wide, quickly as well as anyone. She has a feel for the game, too, and knows when she has time and space before she even turns. She has the ability to get downhill fast and drive at defenders and she will force them to make a decision, and once they commit, she will play a perfectly weighted ball or she will blow past. She plays clever balls, makes smart runs and demonstrates a deep understanding of the game. She is also physical, will fight for every ball and does whatever she can to maintain possession.   [player_tooltip player_id='99877' first='Montgomery' last='Draham'], Forward, Real NJ, New Jersey   The 2026 grad plays for Real NJ in New Jersey, and plays as a No. 11. Draham has great speed on the outside, and though she is very fast, that is not her carrying tool. Her ability to cut in and exploit the middle of the pitch is outstanding. She's incredibly agile and tidy in her movements, she cuts in neatly and keeps the ball at her feet. Once she gets the ball to her right foot, she's a big time threat as she just needs a sliver of space to bury a shot, and she's quite good about hitting the roof of the net or the upper V's. She is so good about taking on defenders and can beat several at a time once she moves into the middle of the pitch. Once she draws attention, she's perfectly happy distributing the ball, setting her teammates up for goals quite often.   [player_tooltip player_id='167249' first='Hayden' last='Goldstein'], Central Defender, City SC, California   Hailing just down the road from Norco, in the beautiful city of San Diego, Goldstein is a center back for the 2007 team. She is a modern day center back in that she is comfortable with the ball at her feet and she gets involved going forward. She has a powerful shot, that can score from distance, as you can see <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/19263096/6600227d8cd4ad0520f49924">here</a>. She gets involved on set pieces, showing off a powerful header and she can play the ball on the ground, or play an accurate ball over the top, showing the ability to break lines. She's also excellent timing-wise, defensively. She times her challenges well and she is relentless in her pursuit, steps and challenges well and once she gets between you and the goal, you will have a hard time turning her.   [player_tooltip player_id='172607' first='Elyssa' last='Hernandez'], Central Defender, Santa Clara Sporting, California   Cool and composed, that is the name of the game for Hernandez. She is a center back from Hollister who travels to Santa Clara to play for Sporting, showing her dedication. An impressive young player who can also play as a No. 6, Hernandez does not get bothered by pressure and does not lose control of regulating her emotions when things get tense. She leads by example, by keeping her wits about her and continuing to be the all-around player that she is. She's a tough, physical defender who is really hard to beat in 1v1 situations, and routinely wins the ball in the air and gets her tackles right. She can also play out of the back, showing off fantastic technical skills as she is totally comfortable with the ball at her feet. Her first touch is very good and she can move the ball quickly, break lines and she also understands how to use space whether she's on the ball or not.   [player_tooltip player_id='181749' first='Shelby' last='Parks'], Forward/Attacking Midfielder, Real Jersey FC, New Jersey   Parks has an absolute nose for goal, and has the instincts to be in the right place at the right time. the Real Jersey FC player is a threat to defenders at all times, as she pressures the ball relentlessly and it is almost like she can smell a goal. If a defender gets even the slightest thing wrong in the back, she will be there to pounce. She is a prolific goal-scoring forward, but can also play as a No. 10 as she is quick, agile and creative. She's very strong, and defenders cannot knock her around. She uses her body very well to shield, and she turns quickly. When she does, she will fire off a rocket of a shot and she's incredibly accurate. She simply shows excellent finishing ability in the area.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/06/image1.jpeg?w=819" alt="" class="wp-image-181366" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Michael Spengler</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='20206' first='Sloane' last='Phillips'], Midfielder, City SC, California   Phillips is from around San Diego, attending Temecula Valley High, just north, and playing club at City SC in San Diego. She plays for the 2008 team and she is one of the premiere midfielders in the 2026 class from California. When you watch her play, you will ask yourself, what can't she do. She is a maestro of the No. 8 spot, directing a symphony as she is just in control whether it be going forward or defending. She disrupts attacks by being aware, anticipatory and then she starts transitioning quickly. She holds off defenders well, and can maneuver through traffic. She is quick and agile, and does not get knocked of the ball easily. She has excellent vision and always seems to pick the right pass, and to play it perfectly at someone's feet. She can also score, and score from distance with a highly accurate and powerful shot. Her pace, her ability to change direction and her ability to go from being relatively still to exploding past people is impressive. Phillips never gives up on a ball, she works tirelessly and her impact is felt in every match she plays in.   [player_tooltip player_id='145055' first='Amelia' last='Ralph'], Central Defender, LA Surf, California   Ralph does not get easily fooled as the center back for LA Surf reads the movements of attackers very well, and cuts them off before they have a chance to be dangerous. She's physical and strong and if you underestimate these traits, she will show you where you went wrong. She uses her body to shield very well and shows excellent coordination and balance, and will not be bullied. She also has tremendous speed, and accelerates very quickly and can run down any attacker. She has great foot skills as well, showing comfort on the ball, delivering accurate passes and continuing her runs forward. She picks the right time to push up as well, and will not leave her keeper or fellow defenders hanging.   [player_tooltip player_id='46257' first='Sadie' last='Shapiro'], Forward, Cedar Stars Bergen, New Jersey   Shapiro makes it look easy. She plays with such poise and ease as it appears to come so naturally to her. She is unflappable and calm and composed, making great decisions as she does not always go for glory, often times choosing to set a teammate up first. She plays the ball out into space perfectly, finding her teammates on the run so they can get in on goal. She's a total workhorse as well, as she never stops moving, sometimes dropping all the way back into the defensive third to win a ball and start the attack. Once she plays a ball, she continues her runs as her goal-scoring instincts take over. She finds space and knows how to operate in that space. She's clever and very tidy with the ball and can really tie a defender in knots.   [player_tooltip player_id='25663' first='Maddie' last='Smith'], Forward/Midfielder , South Jersey Elite Barons FC, New Jersey   Some goal scorers sit and wait for opportunities, but Smith never stops working. She is constant movement when she is up top, whether she is continuing a run after playing a ball out wide, or simply looking for space in which to be dangerous. She's very stealthy as she will find pockets of space to be dangerous in, and then in a flash she is getting a shot off or turning a defender and facing goal. She's so good on the ball, displaying incredible technical skills and the ability to keep the ball despite being pressured or when she finds herself in tight areas. She plays accurate balls after dragging defenders her way and then outpaces defenders as she works her way down the pitch to be an attacking threat.   [player_tooltip player_id='159986' first='Raelyn' last='Smith'], Midfielder, South Jersey Elite Barons FC, New Jersey   Smith is a 2010 midfielder for SJEB and quite a talent. For starters, she has an absolute rocket of a left foot, scoring from distance quite a lot as she shows tremendous accuracy on shots from outside the area. She operates at a very high level, showing tremendous athleticism in the middle of the pitch and showing an understanding of the game years beyond her age. She knows how to find space and make herself available and she seems to know when to play the ball or to take a shot. She's clever and sees many moves ahead of the defense which allows her to play a clever little ball or to juke several defenders.   Kayla Virgilio, Midfielder, Albion SC, California   Virgillo knows how to work the middle of the pitch and make herself available. She continues moving off the ball and allows herself to be an outlet for her teammates as she understands her role as a No. 8. She's also incredibly quick and agile and can cleverly get past defenders and open up the attack. She is absolutely relentless in her pursuit of the ball and works tirelessly. She has great vision and makes accurate passes, and she is so good with both feet that she can change directions quickly, with her head up and see a teammate to play a ball to. Virgilio plays for Albion SC in San Diego, just a couple hours south of Norco.

The Girls Academy Playoffs and Showcase take place in Riverside County, California this week and teams from all over the country will be in Norco at the Silver Lakes Soccer Complex. With talent from all over the country, this is a great opportunity for players to stand out and teams to achieve glory. Here are 11 players to start off our series of previews leading up to Wednesday, with plenty more previews coming before then.