Top GA talent from Rust Belt states

The Girls Academy Playoffs will see players coming from all over the United States, and included in that group will be this group of excellent players from the three Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.   Gabriella Beinecke, Forward, Beadling SC, Pennsylvania   Beinecke is exceptional in several ways, but something she does better than most is turning defenders. She uses her body very well to hold them off and then she is very quick and clever with a quick shoulder shake to wrong foot the defender, turn and she's by them. Once past them, she gets going quickly. She moves down the left side, where she plays a good amount of time, with reckless abandon, showing speed and technical skills. From there she is very good in initiating combination play to get a shot off, or drifting wide and sending a cross in. Another area she excels in is continuing her runs and finding space in which teammates can provide her the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='23197' first='Kayla' last='Butki'], Outside Defender/Forward, Nationals SC, Michigan   Butki is very versatile as she can play as an outside defender or a wide forward, and she can do so on either side. She is very calm and composed on the ball, not crumbling under pressure and making smart decisions. She analyzes the game at a very deep level and shows a very high soccer IQ. Clever when going forward, Butki can make people miss as she has good lateral movement and very long strides. She's fantastic at picking a pass, makes great overlapping runs and just seems to be a ballhawk when in the final third.   [player_tooltip player_id='23238' first='Rory' last='Chiles'], Defensive Midfielder/Central Defender, Michigan Jaguars, Michigan   Chiles has a very good defensive skill set, because she excels in all three facets, which is challenging with a tackle, anticipating the passing lanes and winning aerial duels. She does all three and does them all very well. She's also strong on the ball, showing comfort and ability with the ball at her feet. She can break lines with her passing ability and will push up in attack. Where she is particularly dangerous is on set pieces where her size and vertical ability make her very dangerous.   Livia Guadagno, Keeper, SC Wave, Wisconsin   Fearless is the first word that comes to mind when watching Guadagno play. She thinks not about her own physical wellbeing as she will come out for a ball and make a challenge at any time. She is very quick off her line, too, because she gets her challenges right, even when making a challenge in the box. She's very good coming forward, but also laterally, routinely stopping balls that seemed destined to sneak inside either post. She reads and reacts quickly and anticipates very, very well.   [player_tooltip player_id='84139' first='Ava' last='Landstra'], Defensive Midfielder/Central Defender, Nationals SC, Michigan   A physical defender, Landstra does not back away from a challenge. She also does not rest on her laurels after making one good deflection, or stepping in front of a pass. She does not switch off after doing something well as she is ready for the play that could come next. Her focus is top notch. The way she reads attackers and reacts quickly is impressive. She can close out on a striker, and still recover to get out and help on the winger making the overlapping run. She has had great success and accolades, including being just one of two players from her Nationals SC team to make DCFC USLW team.   [player_tooltip player_id='268440' first='Ellie' last='Lebe'], Forward/Midfielder, Century United, Wisconsin   If you want to see what calm and composed looks like in front of the goal, look no further than Lebe. The 2010 player from Century United in Wisconsin just stays cool when she gets an opportunity and finishes cooly. She does not rush, she does not panic, keeping her eyes up and finding a place to slot the ball home. She reads the defensive line very well and times her runs excellently, showing the ability to use a defender to stay onside while that defender is wrong-footed. She has good speed, she can hit a ball one-time and she is versatile. Lebe can also play as a No. 10, where her foot skills really stand out and she can shake defenders and create, and she can also be a field general in the middle of the pitch as a No. 8.   [player_tooltip player_id='155782' first='Amara' last='Leppla'], Attacking Midfielder/Forward, Wave SC, Wisconsin   Leppla is an attacking player, through and through, as you can see that from her movements, her energy and her desire to score and create goals. She has an excellent shot from distance, she can use either foot and what makes her so dangerous are her foot skills as she can skin any defender. She navigates traffic easily, using quick movements and speed, and in a blink can fire a shot on target, or play a ball to a teammate making a run in the box if she attracts a crowd.   Jillian Major, Midfielder/Forward, South Jersey Elite Barons, Pennsylvania   Major is from Philadelphia, but travels into New Jersey to play for the SJEB 2008 team. She is a versatile player who can play in the midfield or as a forward. She is a physical presence and a total nightmare for defensive midfielders and center backs. She is relentless in her pressure, forcing mistakes, and she plays very aggressively and physically, making life tough on opponents. She turns defenders well, her movements are smooth and easy. She remains composed on the ball and plays a nice ball in and shows good accuracy with her shots.   [player_tooltip player_id='156756' first='Emiliana' last='Manzo'], Central Midfielder, Nationals SC, Michigan   Manzo is a do everything, modern day No. 8. She travels from box to box and leaves her imprint on the game. She travels far and wide to get on the ball, and once she starts driving the ball forward, she does so with intent and with great vision. She can thread the needle with a lovely through ball, or she can play out wide and then continue on as a dangerous player in space. She scores quite well for a No. 8, using both feet to do so, and she is particularly dangerous when she cuts back and gets the ball on her left foot.   [player_tooltip player_id='56308' first='Lily' last='Pantaleo'], Forward, Nationals SC, Michigan   Pantaleo is a 2007 player for Nationals SC and she is committed to play after high school at Virginia Tech. She is an absolutely outstanding player and will be a great future Hokie. She is very fast and very committed. You can see that she plays with intent and with passion. She is exceptionally quick when the ball is at her feet and can outpace defenders while dribbling downhill. She pressures well, causing mistakes and does not look to go alone after a turnover, as she keeps her head up for an attacker making a run after she's collected the ball. When Pantaleo has the goal in sight, you really should watch out. She is dogged in her pursuit and will make the keeper work.   Katelin Sills, Central Defender, Nationals SC, Michigan   Sills is very comfortable being the last person back on defense, because she reacts and recovers so quickly. She closes out quickly, stands up the attacker and gives her teammates a chance to regroup. She makes excellent, well-timed challenges and plays with a physicality needed from a center back. She reads the game well, sees all the angles and does not get caught out. She has very good speed, very good foot skills and excellent passing ability.   [player_tooltip player_id='179742' first='Cambelle' last='Stallings'], Keeper, PA Classics, Pennsylvania   Stallings is an incredibly fundamental keeper who uses every part of her body to make a stop. She does well to keep her hands wide and to her side when an attacker is in on her and drags her legs well. She closes down on an attacker that has got behind very quickly and she shrinks the angle. Stallings is a very good shot stopper as she shows quick reactions, and she also distributes well, whether it's throwing the ball out quickly to a wide back or by playing the ball long.   [player_tooltip player_id='118674' first='Caitlyn' last='Thompson'], Keeper, Century United, Wisconsin   If you shoot it near her goal, Thompson is probably going to get a hand on it. She is incredible in extending herself to the fullest to tip a ball over the top, or going left and write and parrying a ball away. She has great coverage, athleticism and reaction time. She does not waste body movement, either, anticipating the attacker and then only going after she makes a read. This keepers her from being wrong-footed by the attacking player. She is a true shot-stopping keeper who plays without fear and who plays with energy and drive.   Tori Yurt, Forward, Century United, Wisconsin   Yurt is very good about playing off the shoulder of a defender, keeping herself onside and then exploding when it's time to make a run, and she times it perfectly. She plays fast and sees the game develop in front of her, seeing an opportunity long before the defense can react. She also has quickness and speed and shows a toughness on the pitch. She is a prolific goal scorer and she is able to put the ball away so frequently because she is calm and composed in front of the net.

The Girls Academy Playoffs will see players coming from all over the United States, and included in that group will be this group of excellent players from the three Rust Belt states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.