Playoff Round 2 East's Best Players

<p>Round 2 of the playoffs in the East region played out interestingly across all four levels. A few scandalous results combined with a fair few upsets, as well as some hard-fought matches, there was no lack of emotion across the state. A total of 32 matches were played across the levels in this region, providing us with plenty of talent. However, as has been the case, some levels provided less visibility than others. Regardless, they all still provided some visibility, and with this the following list is comprised of the talents who took advantage of it.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">1A Level</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">McKayla is an attacking midfielder/second striker who helps lead her team thanks to her talent. A natural-born leader, she's incredibly vocal and friendly with her teammates. Her mentality to do the most for her team is evident in more than just vocal leadership, though. When she needs to press, regardless of where she is on the pitch, she'll do anything to recover the ball as high as possible. Her strong tackles and determination make this possible, launching attacks from far up the pitch. In attack, she's an unbelievably fast player, including when she's on the ball. This allows for space to open up not just to run in, but to create chances too. When she drifts wide, she plays in dangerous balls into the box.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2A Level</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Jenna is a striker who appears for the third time this season (<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/04/2a-matchday-4s-best-performers/">1</a>,<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/04/2a-matchday-6s-best-performers/">2</a>). Her consistency has translated into the playoffs, leading her team once again in crucial moments. In this match, she registered a goal and an assist in a 3-1 away win. Her goal contributions clearly helped her team progress, but so too did her performance throughout. Constantly running at defenders, she kept them busy and eventually tired them out. This allowed for her team to ultimately come out on top, proving how crucial she is in multiple facets of the game.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">3A Level</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Sloane is a goalkeeper who helped lead her team into the next round spectacularly. During normal and overtime, she proved how clutch she is throughout. With fantastic saves, including some diving saves and other reflex saves, she kept her team from going behind. She is also always very attentive, even if the ball is not in a clear dangerous area. During the penalty shootout, she pulled off 3 saves that avoided the need for "sudden death" penalties.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">4A Level</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Sophia is a talented right-midfielder who helps control the tempo from out wide. She knows when and where to pause the play or advance it. She'll cool down plays, which allows for more passing lanes centrally, or for runners to get in behind the defence. In either case, she picks out the correct pass in the context of the play. If she's the one who needs to advance the play, she'll either make the runs into space or dribble past defenders. For both, she proves to be dangerous in the final third. Her deliveries into the back are also great, getting a good assist with a ball delivered into the heart of the box.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Landry is a fantastic striker who makes the final third her home. Her movements in this area makes her hard to defend, keeping the opposing defense on their toes constantly. Both off and on the ball, she is an uncomfortable player to defend. When she's on the ball, she gets past pressure from both the midfield and defense. This allows both her and her attacking teammates to get into space to score from. Her shots, both from in and out of the box, creates danger. She even got a wonderful long-shot goal, beating the keeper from very far. Her playmaking is also wonderful, playing important balls in behind the defense for attackers in better positions. She even got 2 assists in this match, proving how good she is at creating chances. </p>

Round 2 of the playoffs in the East region played out interestingly across all four levels. A few scandalous results combined with a fair few upsets, as well as some hard-fought matches, there was no lack of emotion across the state. A total of 32 matches were played across the levels in this region, providing us with plenty of talent. However, as has been the case, some levels provided less visibility than others. Regardless, they all still provided some visibility, and with this the following list is comprised of the talents who took advantage of it.