ECNL St. Louis: Who Dominated in the 2009 Age Group?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The ECNL National Event in St. Louis wrapped up over the weekend. The weather hindered event still provided a platform for some of the top talent in the country to play against top competition with hundreds of scouts in attendance. Below are some of the standouts from the 2009 age group.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Micha Boger, NC Fusion - Boger did well with her goal in the come-from-behind victory over Missouri Rush on Sunday. The forward had a calm and collected finish in a difficult situation with high pressure.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kyla Denton, NC Fusion - Denton had a stellar game in the midfield for NC Fusion against Missouri Rush. She kept the game in front of her, made the tackle when needed, and completed a few long distance passes that opened up the opposition.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ellarose Ffrench, Legends FC San Diego - Thought Ffrench was outstanding in the game against Wilmington Hammerheads. Confident on the ball, excellent recovery speed, and did well in 1v1 duels. Ffrench showcased her skill on the ball by bringing a ball down from the air with her chest and then playing it out of pressure through the center back. The freshman looks to be a top right back with that type of confidence and comfort in possession.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='287207' first='Samantha' last='Harpster'], Legends FC San Diego - Harpster played right center back for Legends and had an incredible outing with zero goals conceded in three games. The reason she stood out to me was her passing though. She had the assist on the lone goal against Wilmington Hammerheads. She showed excellent vision and good patience on the play to find her target with a perfect pass on the goal.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nami Walsh, Legends FC San Diego - Walsh had a brilliant goal in the win over Wilmington Hammerheads. She pinned the defender on her hip, pinned off of her and then buried the shot into the upper corner of the net. It was impressive technique for the Legends forward.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='180159' first='Emily' last='Inman'], Fairfax VA Union - Inman's performance against Racing Louisville was eye-opening. The attacking midfielder was dominant in that game and looked a step quicker than the opposition. Inman's excellent first touch and quick thinking stood out from game film. She looked like she was playing at the level of a Youth National Team player at the ECNL level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Channing Parker, Fairfax VA Union - There were a few players on the Fairfax squad that impressed with their effort on defense. Parker deserves the spotlight for her consistency. The center defender was excellent in the game against Racing Louisville. She stood up the opposition and won every tackle. She retained possession for her side and started the counter too. Fairfax dominated the competition in St. Louis and the defense with [player_tooltip player_id='168139' first='Morgan' last='Birdsell'] in goal was a major reason why. [player_tooltip player_id='110286' first='Ayris' last='Witherspoon'] was another bright spot of the Fairfax side. Kayla Layne, [player_tooltip player_id='110336' first='Cameron' last='Tebeau'], and [player_tooltip player_id='110322' first='Nadia' last='Ahmad'] were also standouts in the midfield for Fairfax.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='219140' first='Jadalyse' last='Moore'], Fairfax VA Union - The speedy forward created a number of chances for her side in the second half against Racing Louisville. She looked unstoppable in the open field. Moore has game-breaking quality with the ball at her feet.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='233215' first='Kyla' last='Baier'], Evolution - Baier was outstanding in the win over GTFC at the opening of the event. She was quick off her line, smart in the challenge, and showed all the keys to be a great goalkeeper for a defense playing with a high line. Baier had a couple of key blocks early in the game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Savannah Little, GTFC - Little had a good outing against Evolution. The tall center back showed a lot of quality in 1v1 defending as well as quick decision-making on the ball.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='233211' first='Alexandra' last='Merriam'], Evolution - Merriam's play in the attack for Evolution stood out. The forward showed off impressive footwork, excellent control with her right foot, and incredible balance to withstand the tackle.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='137984' first='Taylor' last='Morrell'], VDA 09 - Morrell continues to impress with her quality. The VDA star was once against one of the top performers at the event. [player_tooltip player_id='110445' first='Daphne' last='Van Der Weide'], [player_tooltip player_id='110288' first='Skylar' last='Hansen'], and [player_tooltip player_id='157451' first='Mia' last='Binkowski'] were also standouts for VDA.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adrianna Adam, Las Vegas Heat - The Las Vegas Heat right back was one of the best on the field in the game against Beach FC (VA). Adam was a shutdown 1v1 defender and then did well going forward. She combined well and made some key overlapping runs to keep the opposition on their heels.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gloria Vancura, Las Vegas Heat - Vancura is a talented midfielder. Quick on her feet, she danced around tackles against Beach. She has a powerful shot and is a confident player on the ball. She had a couple of efforts on goal from outside of the box.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Angelina Adam, Las Vegas Heat - The Las Vegas Heat were one of the best teams to watch at the event from a spectator standpoint. They played attractive, attacking, purposeful soccer even in adverse weather conditions and against challenging opponents. Adam's play at the defensive midfielder spot was key to the group's success. She was sharp on the ball and made quick decisions. She put in the tackle when needed. She dictated the pace of the game with her play.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eleanor Wiseman, Sting Austin 09 - Wiseman had a couple of key plays early on in the win over Mustang SC on Thursday. The center back made the key tackles and interceptions to shut down a talent Mustang attack.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carolina Reyna, Sting Austin 09 - Reyna made an incredible full-field run with the ball at her feet to setup the first goal of the game against Mustang. It showed off her skill and speed with the ball at her feet. It was one of the best assists of the event. Eva Pensamiento capped it off with a terrific finish.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ruby Hoelscher, Boise Thorns - I thought Hoelscher was excellent in an abbreviated appearance against Gretna Elite. The Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year as a freshman last season certainly made a stunning showing at the ECNL event with her club side. She is one to watch.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cooper Dally, Gretna Elite Academy - Dally drew a penalty and converted from the spot in the win over Boise Thorns. The forward showed off great footwork and composure on the ball to earn the foul in the box. She was calm and poised with the finish too.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olivia Rotich, Sporting Iowa - The activity of Rotich from the center of the attack really set the tone for her side. She was active in the press and created chances with her defensive effort. She did well in holding onto the ball with defenders on her back as the target to break pressure. Rotich's performance against GTFC was a bright spot for her side on a successful showing in St. Louis.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->