Maryland Jeff Cup Preview: 2009s Trying to Create March Madness

Last preview for the Maryland teams at the Jeff Cup this weekend, this one focusing on the 2009s. Many of this class are committed already as soccer moves faster than other sports. Some of the lower D1s, as well as D2 and D3, are still working on their 2027 classes; however, I'm going to look at a couple of players from the top MD teams playing this weekend.    Mia plays for [program_tooltip program_id='283621' first='Bethesda' last='SC'] '09. She's about average height, with decent speed. Her best skill would be her vision and passing, which is probably why she plays at Mid. She plays a tremendous through ball, accurate at 50 yards even, and she's got a little sauce on her shots, with her range in the 30-35 yard range on a line. Her ability to play the ball, find a window to move and find the open pass is pretty fantastic. Haven't seen her in any real physical matches, those have to develop, not every game plays like that, so would love to see how that plays for her in the middle of the field, all in all, she adds up to a great middy.     Ava is a standout for [program_tooltip program_id='283431' first='Pipeline' last='SC'], and Mercy High. She's a star forward here in Maryland with plenty of accolades. She's been all-conference, all-state, and Maryland State Player of the Year. All with good reason, she's a scorer for sure, great at creating space, better at getting a shot off without any. She can use either foot, so she's dangerous from either side of the net, that's probably part of why Fairfield signed her to play for them in college. This kid is one of the royalty in Maryland when you're talking about the best soccer players, she has to be in the conversation.     [player_tooltip player_id='349815' first='Shayna' last='Tobin'] is a Mid for [program_tooltip program_id='278061' first='Maryland' last='United'], playing for a really good 2009 team. She is a more offensive focused player and does a great job finding the seams where she can slide in behind the defense or make a run for a ball. She's a shooter, not all offensive players have that trait, you learn to appreciate it more when you have a player that does. She's constantly creating for her team, either by moving off the ball and creating windows, or by taking shots and creating rebound chances or goals. You aren't going to score without putting it on the net, and she will do that for you.     This one is an interesting add to my list. I was following her a bit seeing her a few times in the wild, but where I really became a big fan was when she committed to college at Randolph-Macon. It's a great program with great coaching and one I like a lot, so seeing her as one of their recruiting class gave her some extra points with me. I already thought her defensive game was strong, looks like she can play anywhere in the back end and can move the ball well, but if she's got the seal of approval from that staff I know I was on the right track. She's been in the GA ID program, and she's a leader for her HS team, that speaks to high character to go with the skill. I'm excited to see what she does this weekend, and beyond.     There's actually quite a few kids to pick from on the MD United 09 RL team. There's some great coaching there, which probably explains why there are more talented player than you'd expect on a normal RL team. Addison has quite the soccer IQ on her. I've seen her a bit a couple times now, and each time she's been very steady and made solid, smart plays. That carries more weight for me than with other scouts, we all have our preferences, but she's a good player with great vision and helps the transition game work for this team.

Last preview for the Maryland teams at the Jeff Cup this weekend, this one focusing on the 2009s. Many of this class are committed already as soccer moves faster than other sports. Some of the lower D1s, as well as D2 and D3, are still working on their 2027 classes; however, I'm going to look at a couple of players from the top MD teams playing this weekend.