Standouts from the Girls Academy Champions Cup 08

NORCO, California - The Girls Academy Winter Showcase and Champions Cup feels a little different this year. With the shake up of the clubs between the top nation-wide leagues, there is some notable absences but with every loss comes an opportunity.    New teams have stepped into the spotlight with these available spots, and with the fresh jerseys on the field comes the spotlight on some new faces. From the 2008 age group there were a few familiar names who shined bright from the action and some new names who stepped up.    Check out the standouts from the games Prep Soccer scouted in person over the weekend.     The Jaguars goalkeeper stopped a breakaway with her smart anticipation and athleticism. She also showed secure hands on a cross to snag the ball out of the air in traffic. Blondeel looks like the real deal in the freshman class.      Hazlewood brought energy and activity in the midfield for her side. She was buzzing in the first half and forcing the issue. She made some good passes to create chances and also proved her quality defensively with some tackles.      Snook is a 2026 center back who made a name for herself against a talented Florida United side. She moves her feet well, fearless in the tackle, and good communicator. Rory Chiles was also a standout for Jaguars.      The US Youth National Team midfielder is a rare prospect, one of those talents that stands out from any field she is on. She possesses all of the skill and vision of the best of the best, but her incredible balance and ability to withstand tackles while keeping control of the ball is something special. Ortiz is a delight to watch even when playing against older competition.     Buerger was impressive early on in the game against Jaguars. Her combination of speed and skill presented unique challenges for the opposition. She was great at exploiting the gaps in the opposition and earning touches in the attacking half. She generated chances with her combination play and her ability take on players off the dribble.      Smith, the Illinois commit, had a strong showing against Jaguars. She has good hands and plays with confidence off her line. Smith possesses the physical tools to cover the whole net and backs it up with some stellar technique.      Allen is a bright spot from the Florida United defense. The tall center back is an elite prospect. She is a sound defender with an aerial duel prowess. She's comfortable on the ball and tends to try to break pressure off the dribble. Allen was a top performer on Friday.      The defensive midfielder for LaMO stood out in the game against City SC. She plays with her head up and showed confidence on the ball. She is aggressive in the tackle and scrappy in duels. She does well in keeping possession for her side as she navigates out of tight spaces with her sick feet and close control.      Smith was one of the top performers at the event. The midfield pings the ball with accuracy and consistency. She shined bright in the big win for Galaxy on Friday.      Loved the set piece routine that Burke and Carolina Capizzi executed to perfection on Friday. Burke provide the perfect timing and weight on the pass for the assist.      Higdon, a center forward, impressed me with her play defensively. She used her body well in the challenge and took taller players off the ball with ease. She also put in some physical tackles to create chances for her team. Higdon did well on the ball in getting her teammates involved with her hold-up play.      Leonard made an exceptional kick save in the second half in the scoreless draw against Utah Celtic. She was moving across her goal in the opposite direction of the shot and managed to get fully extended to get a toe on the shot to keep it out of the goal. A terrific effort and a game deciding play for her side.      Big fan of the effort and energy Okonkwo brings to her side. She covered so much ground on a scorching hot winter day on turf in direct sunlight and her level never dropped in the second half. She does a bit of everything well - and she did pretty much everything as the engine of the midfield. She has a high ceiling as a box-to-box midfielder.      Feldman is quite the player. Easy to see why she is rated so highly by Youth National Team scouts. Sharp passer with a high level understanding of windows and timing to go alongside expert level precision. Feldman was hitting some jaw-dropping, line-splitting dimes against Wake FC.      Bramble's communication and comfort with the ball at her feet impressed me. She didn't get called up for any difficult saves while I saw her team play, but she was always active with her organization and verbal commands to her teammates.      Mather is a talented midfielder who impressed with her creativity on the ball. Against a strong CUP side, Mather showed her cleverness in moving the ball against a stalwart defense. #3 and #10 were also bright spots for NEFC.      No. 33 on CUP was heavily involved in the play, and often ended up on the ground after suffering quite a few fouls in an effort to slow her down.      In a dominant display on Friday, Harmon was once again shining for a variety of reasons. Smart defensively, active on set pieces, and leading her side, Harmon had a complete game in the victory.      Carter is a center forward who was a handful for the opposition on Friday. She was sharp with her runs off the ball and showed good decision-making with her passing. Carter is a dynamic attacking talent. [player_tooltip player_id='146221' first='Angelina' last='Obuljen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='146214' first='Kaya' last='Choi'] were also bright spots for Fram.      Moukarzel is a silky smooth dribbler who froze a few defenders with her dazzling skill and ability to cut on a dime. She has the elite quality on the ball that should translate to the next level as a creative attacking player in the final third.      Elite recovery speed, physical defending, and leadership traits, Cicchino impressed as one of the top center backs on the day on Friday. The STA captain made a number of players that had a direct influence on the result.      My notes from the game had “Great first touch” underlined next to Virgilio's name. Looking back at game film from last season, she has always been good on the ball, but it feels like her confidence has stepped up and now she is dominating the center of the field regularly. She should be on the radar for any scouts looking to land a top 2026 midfielder.     <figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-medium"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/12/GabbyThompson.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-275108"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Gabby Thompson, Lou Fusz 08 GA</figcaption></figure>    The Kansas commit looked unstoppable against the IMG defense on Friday. She scored three goals as Lou Fusz cruised to the victory. Madison Stockwell also scored for Lou Fusz.

NORCO, California - The Girls Academy Winter Showcase and Champions Cup feels a little different this year. With the shake up of the clubs between the top nation-wide leagues, there is some notable absences but with every loss comes an opportunity.