Northern California ECNL Standouts Earn Spots in 2030 Rankings

The ECNL season has kicked off in a number of conferences across the country. Northern California has already featured two weekends of action at the end of August to begin the campaign. With the new age groups and new look teams, there has been some shuffling at the top of the standings. With some teams out to hot starts, below is a rundown on the players who have impressed from those games and earned a spot in the rankings for the upcoming Prep Soccer California 2030 rankings update.    Kelley is a midfielder on the Mustang SC 2011/2012 ECNL team. She was part of the US Club Soccer id2 National Tour Team that went to England. She was identified by scouts from that program as one of the best midfielders in the country.   Kelley has shown through the opening games of the season that she deserves that title. She's excellent at a lot of little things. Kelley checking her shoulders before receiving the ball immediately stood out from game film. She's constantly scanning, taking snapshots of the opposition, and planning her next pass way before the ball gets to her.   She's got the telltale signs of a midfielder who is going to reach the top level of the game. Her quality on the ball is excellent. Her decision-making is impressive especially when she has to improvise from a broken play. She's one who should be getting looks from the National Team in the near future.     Fairbanks is an attacking midfielder on the [program_tooltip program_id='283433' first='Placer' last='United'] 2011/2012 ECNL team. She was named to the ECNL Northern California All-Conference Second Team in the 2011 age group last season. She's already shown she can dominate play against older competition.   Fairbanks has started the season well with her new team. She's providing chances regularly in the games and a key reason for the hot start to the season. She's left footed but good off both feet. She is skillful, clever, and an excellent decision-maker on the ball.   Fairbanks is going to be a top talent this season in the 2011/2012 age group. She has all the tools to unlock the defense.     Holbrook is a right back on the Mustang SC 2011/2012 team. She is part of the NorCal PDP team as well. She's a flying outside back with winger tendencies. She's a valuable weapon for her club team because of the quality she brings into the attack. She's excellent on the ball and capable of dribbling past multiple defenders.   She is also a shutdown 1v1 defender. She has the two-way play to be considered among the best outside backs in this class in the state.     Tanner is a midfielder on the [program_tooltip program_id='283433' first='Placer' last='United'] 2011/2012 ECNL team. She was part of the US Soccer Mini-Camp West Region earlier this year for the 2012 age group. She was listed among the defenders on that roster.   She plays as a box-to-box midfielder for her club team. She certainly has the tools and qualities to be an outstanding outside back as well. For now, she is earning the attention of scouts from the center of the midfield. She's got lightning quick feet, close control of the ball, and excellent two-way play.   Tanner stands out for her quality on the ball and her enthusiasm to get the ball on her feet. She's a tireless worker. She also plays with the confidence of a player who knows she can do it all on the field. She has international quality to her game and should be striving for the top levels in the future.     Clement is a midfielder on the [program_tooltip program_id='283433' first='Placer' last='United'] 2011/2012 ECNL team. She is a captain for her club team. She's been called into US Soccer Talent ID events in the past.   Clement plays as a defensive midfielder for her club team. She's excellent at reading the opposition and shutting down the attack. She gets into the passing lanes and cuts out angles. She's competitive and thrives in the challenge of the position.   She has a tendency to play in one direction from where she receives the ball. However, the variety of her passing still makes her unpredictable in her approach. She has some qualities that suggest she could be an outstanding center back as well.     Polan is a defender on the [program_tooltip program_id='283433' first='Placer' last='United'] 2011/2012 ECNL team. She is also part of the NorCal PDP team.   She plays right center back for her club team. She's been a bright spot at the start of the season. There was a moment in the game against [program_tooltip program_id='283641' first='De' last='Anza Force'] recently that showed her growth as a player in the past year. De Anza's attack had taken away her two options for an immediate pass. Rather than force the ball into one of them, or just boot it long, Polan dribbled around the closest defender and then found a perfect pass down the line.   She could afford to be a bit more aggressive defensively. She has a tendency to drop off in coverage. There's clearly enough bite to her game when she gets stuck in on a challenge. It could come out more often from the run of play.   Polan is a runner too. She has cross country lungs so there is a future for her as an outside back. She can cover the whole field if needed and will last longer than anyone else on the pitch.     Ramirez is a defender on the Mustang SC 2011/2012 ECNL team. She plays right center back for her club team. She's been part of the Mexico Youth National Team previously. She also plays for the NorCal PDP team. She previously played for [program_tooltip program_id='287537' first='Ajax' last='United'] in the Girls Academy.   Ramirez has been an excellent addition to the Mustang squad. She allows the team to attack from the outside back spot. She has a good understanding of organizing the defense. The initial games are incredibly encouraging for the type of ceiling this team has when Ramirez is anchoring the defense.

The ECNL season has kicked off in a number of conferences across the country. Northern California has already featured two weekends of action at the end of August to begin the campaign. With the new age groups and new look teams, there has been some shuffling at the top of the standings. With some teams out to hot starts, below is a rundown on the players who have impressed from those games and earned a spot in the rankings for the upcoming Prep Soccer California 2030 rankings update.