SoCal 2026-2027 CIF Girls High School Soccer  – Preseason Top 10

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top-level, nationally ranked teams and USYNT players are ready for another year of prep soccer.</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>USE THE PROMO CODE almasin30 for a discount on your first subscription</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Winter 2026-2027 high school soccer season is merely a couple of months away.&nbsp; Top-tier teams are hoping their 2028s are making their commitments soon or have already locked in their college pick.&nbsp; Many coaches, even myself, will have a sigh of relief as the players get to choose whether they will do one or even two more years to compete and put their future college careers on the line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although most club coaches would rather the players sit out, even if they have already made their commitments, some take it upon themselves to play their last or final two seasons with their best friends.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Given the opportunity to rest and prepare for their next level of their soccer journey, some feel the need to take the leap of faith and commit themselves to the ups and downs of high school soccer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with the risk of injuries, they know that they could also elevate their status through exposure and recognition.&nbsp; This SoCal region has some of the best players in the state as well as in the nation.&nbsp; There are a few USYNT players on this list of Top 10 teams, with 2 on the Santa Margarita squad who have already made their college commitments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Without further ado, my pick for the #1 team coming into this winter season's SoCal Top 10 list is the Santa Margarita Eagles.&nbsp; Last season, they had an incredible run, which ended in the Division 1 Regional Finalist.&nbsp; They lost a 2-0 match to the eventual State Division 1 Champions, Mater Dei Monarchs.&nbsp; Prior to that match, they came in as the number one ranked team in the SoCal bracket with only one loss in the season to JSerra Catholic.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Santa Margarita's record until that point was a super impressive 19-1-5.&nbsp; They are at the top of the list, as they not only return the Gatorade State Player of the Year - [player_tooltip player_id='146362' first='Felicity' last='Nguyen'], but a host of top-tier state and nationally ranked players.&nbsp; She also scored 29 goals and added 8 assists last season, while earning the Trinity League MVP and a First-Team All-American.&nbsp; Felicity is also in the USYNT pipeline, since the age of 14 and has attended training camps and made it onto international rosters.&nbsp; She has also made her commitment to Texas A&amp;M.&nbsp; If she has another standout year, she could be considered for a National Player of the Year award.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another standout player, [player_tooltip player_id='160001' first='Ella' last='Bott'], the Stanford commit, has been called up to the USYNT player pool since the age of 15. The two-time ECNL National Champion also leads a bunch of ranked California players, with some earning national rankings.  Ella has also made history by becoming the youngest player ever called into the U.S. Women's Beach Soccer National Team Training Camp.  Ella also has experience as a semi-pro while playing in the USL-W league for the SC Blue Heat FC.  Her ability to play at such high levels of competition will also help this team make another epic run to a state title.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Eagles team is super stacked.&nbsp; My second edition will feature teams number two and three.&nbsp; Also, it's safe to say that the Trinity League boasts all four of last season's teams in the Top Ten list.&nbsp; The top 5 on my list are:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Santa Margarita Eagles - Division 1 Regional Finalist</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. Mater Dei Monarchs - Division 1 State Champions</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. Cleveland Cavaliers</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. Newport Harbor Sailors</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. Westlake Warriors - Division 2 State Runner-Up</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ranked and Possible Returning Players for Santa Margarita:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='146362' first='Felicity' last='Nguyen'] - 2027 - Forward - Ranked #8 in CA, #4 in position, and #14 in the nation - Texas A&amp;M commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='160001' first='Ella' last='Bott'] - 2028 - Midfielder/Forward - Ranked #13 in CA, #11 in position, and #43 in the nation - Stanford commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='199890' first='Lauren' last='Lim'] - 2028 - Forward - Ranked #34 in CA, #19 in position, and #141 in the nation</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='316242' first='Laiken' last='Klimpel'] - 2028 - Midfielder - Ranked #61 in CA, #42 in position, and #217 in the nation</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='353177' first='Reagan' last='Condon'] - 2028 - Defender - Ranked #60 in CA and #37 in position - LSU commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='159242' first='Winter' last='Meskiel'] - 2028 - Forward/Midfielder - Ranked #141 in CA and #60 in position - LMU commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='383190' first='Bella' last='Dolce'] - 2027 - Defender/Midfielder - Louisiana-Lafayette commit</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='186180' first='Riley' last='Neves'] - 2028 - Midfielder - Ranked #88 in CA and #56 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='352838' first='Kaitlin' last='Crossett'] - 2028 - Goalkeeper - Ranked #93 in CA and #8 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='333108' first='Brice' last='Roehricht'] - 2028 - Defender/Midfielder - Ranked #145 in CA and #76 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='186192' first='Dylan' last='Woodards'] - 2028 - Defender - Ranked #166 in CA and #84 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='269609' first='Addison' last='Briseno'] - 2028 - Defender/Midfielder - #190 in CA and #93 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='280217' first='Carys' last='Fry'] - 2029 - Forward - Ranked #30 in CA and #7 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hayleigh Kennett - 2029 - Midfielder/Defender - Ranked #39 in CA and #12 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='295801' first='Kendall' last='Cahill'] - 2029 - Midfielder - Ranked #42 in CA and #13 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='290174' first='Reagan' last='Kemmerer'] - 2029 - Midfielder/Forward - Ranked #47 in CA and #14 in position</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SoCal - Preseason Rankings - 2026-2027 - Full List</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Santa Margarita Eagles - Division 1 Regional Finalist</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2. Mater Dei Monarchs - Division 1 State Champions</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>3. Cleveland Cavaliers</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4. Newport Harbor Sailors</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5. Westlake Warriors - Division 2 State Runner-Up</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. Notre Dame (SO) Knights</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [program_tooltip program_id='344175' first='JSerra' last='Catholic Lions']</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. Carlsbad Lancers</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. Del Norte Nighthawks</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. Quartz Hill Royals - Division 3 State Champions</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>—-</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. Coachella Valley Mighty Arabs - Division 4 State Runner-Up</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. Coastal Academy Stingrays - Division 5 State Runner-Up</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Spotlight:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["146362"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6abe069e6c83f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">She is the 2026 Gatorade State Player of the Year for California. &nbsp; Last season, she guided her team to the SoCal Regional final. They lost a close match to the eventual Division 1 champions, Mater Dei. Felicity scored 29 goals and added 8 assists last season while earning the Trinity League MVP and a First-Team All-American.&nbsp; She has also been in the USYNT pipeline since the age of 14 and has attended training camps and made it onto international rosters.&nbsp; Felicity has also made her commitment to Texas A&amp;M.&nbsp; If she has another standout year, she could be considered for a National Player of the Year award. She could definitely be a player we will see more of on the USYNT and possibly the USWNT one day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["160001"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6abe069e6c8b0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The Stanford commit has been called up to the USYNT player pool since the age of 15. The two-time ECNL National Champion also leads a rather large group of ranked California players, with some earning national rankings.&nbsp; Ella has also made history by becoming the youngest player ever called into the U.S. Women's Beach Soccer National Team Training Camp.&nbsp; Ella also has experience as a semi-pro while playing in the USL-W league for the SC Blue Heat FC.&nbsp; She is known for her elite technical skills and uses her physical abilities and high soccer IQ to dominate play and possession. Her ability to play at such high levels of competition will also help this team make another epic run to a state title.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->