Five from Idaho with attacking prowess, foot skills

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Something good is happening in the Gem State when it comes to developing talent on the pitch that can move forward quickly, get past defenders and do so with not just speed, but great ball skills. This group of five is excellent on the ball, and they can all get forward quickly.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='111609' first='Maya' last='Atkinson'], Attacking Midfielder, Boise Thorns, Class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Atkinson is a No. 10 from Timberline High, where she is a rising sophomore. She plays ECNL for the 2008 Boise Thorns team and she is a dynamic attacking mid that reads the game well and understands it at a high level. She is excellent at making penetrating runs to create opportunities. She is a smart player and uses her intelligence to gain advantages, and she is also great in 1v1 situations. She is very advanced for her age, starting on varsity as a freshman. The future is bright for Atkinson and she is looking like she could develop into a star player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chloe Burkholder, Attacking Midfielder/Forward, Washington East Surf, Class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Burkholder goes to Lake City High in beautiful Coeur d' Alene and crosses into Washington to play club for Washington East Surf. She is primarily a No. 10 who can play as an outside forward, a striker or a central midfielder when needed. She is a very versatile player. Burkholder shows a very advanced understanding of the game. She displays great vision, she makes great decisions and because of this she can create great opportunities for teammates and for herself. She is an excellent distributor of the ball and understands when and where to play the ball and how to take advantage of space. Speaking of space, her off the ball movement has improved greatly. She is excellent at sending balls into the area, constantly creating opportunities for her teammates as she is hyperaware of what is around her. She loves to get forward, and makes good penetrating runs and goes at defenders 1v1. She is incredibly technical as she can use both feet, and she is getting even stronger with her foot skills as she is improving her shot accuracy and ability to shoot when pressured. She is getting better defensively, she is getting stronger, and after winning a ball she is quick to transition. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='276656' first='Gracen' last='Hildebrand'], Attacking Midfielder, Boise Thorns, Class of 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hildebrand was recently moved to the No. 10 spot for her Boise Thorns U14 team, after playing as a left outside back. She is a perfect candidate to play as an attacking mid as you can see in her highlights that she has everything one would need. She has top class speed as she can close gaps quickly or blow past defenders. She has excellent foot skills as she shows vision and skillful placement on balls she plays. She has great instincts, an excellent first touch and a creative mentality. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":191549,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/07/IMG_6147-crop-1125x739-1720643675.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-191549" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo: Boise Thorns</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='74021' first='Mackenzie' last='Hildebrand'], Outside Defender, Boise Thorns, Class of 2026</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you see Hildebrand play, the outside defender for the Boise Thorns 2008 ECNL team stands out for her amazing technical skill and speed. She is lightning quick, has burst speed and stamina, and is excellent with the ball at her feet. Her skill on the ball allows her to get past players when pushing forward, and she also plays an excellent ball as she can certainly break lines. She is tremendous on set pieces and corners as she has delivered five of her six assists that way. Her speed also translates defensively, as she can keep up with any wide forward and she spend a good amount of time marking the best winger on the other team, playing both sides of the field. She presses attacking players, forces mistakes, wins the ball and transitions quickly. She shows great anticipation as well as she is constantly stepping into passing lanes and disrupting attacks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mason Thaxton, Attacking Midfielder, Timbers North, Class of 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thaxton is from north of Coeur d' Alene, attending Timberlake High in Spirit Lake, ID and plays club for the Timbers North. He shows great skill when on the ball in that he keeps the ball very close, not pushing it out in front and can operate well in space and beat defenders who pressure. He has great speed and loves to use his foot skills and pace to get past defenders. He has excellent vision as he sees how the pitch is setting up and plays the ball accordingly as he creates for his teammates or himself. He has a strong shot and a nose for goal. You will also see Thaxton as a hard-working defender, getting better at tracking back and at being physical. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->