Girls Academy Champions Cup Best XI - 2010

The Girls Academy Champions Cup at the Winter Showcase wrapped up from Southern California earlier this week. Prep Soccer was on hand for the action. Here is the Best XI from the 2010 age group.     GK Isabella Binetti, New York SC - Binetti was out-of-this-world good against Galaxy in the crucial match-up of group play. Her save after save performance was just enough to help her squad secure the top spot in the group.     D [player_tooltip player_id='280206' first='Addison' last='Hamm'], [program_tooltip program_id='283302' first='Columbus' last='United'] - Hamm was the best outside back I saw at the event, regardless of age group or competition. She's a complete player who loves to compete. She thrived all over the field, and clearly showed her value to her team in every game.     CB Kathryn Simmons, Indy Premier - Simmons and Indy Premier finished second in the group based on tiebreaker after going 2-0-1 during the event. Simmons was excellent throughout the event. She scored the equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Tophat. She had the excellent free kick that benefitted from putting the kick into the sun to fool the goalkeeper. She also had a couple of moments when she stood up the talented Tophat attack. Simmons is a bright talent with a long future in the game.     CB Stella Cronan, Tophat - Cronan was a top defender at the event. The Tophat center back was calm and confident on the ball. She did well when called on defensively, but her best attribute was her distribution. She was making the right decisions with the ball at her feet. She's firmly established herself as a top player in the Girls Academy.     D Evalyn Brown, [program_tooltip program_id='283474' first='SJEB' last=''] - Brown is a versatile player who I saw play as a center back and an outside back for her side. She was terrific in both roles. She saved a goal with her positioning on a cross and her strength to hold off the opposition. She made good decisions on the ball and helped her team secure a perfect record from the event.     M Blair Banta, Tophat - The defensive midfielder for Tophat was an unsung hero of a number of the stellar showings for her side. Banta was clean on the ball and made great decisions on the ball. She was also key in stopping the opposition with her positioning and timely interceptions.     M [player_tooltip player_id='279222' first='Zoey' last='Davis'], [program_tooltip program_id='283302' first='Columbus' last='United'] - Davis was a key catalyst for the Columbus side. She didn't always appear on the scoresheet, but she was always making plays that led to goals or chances for teammates. Davis was a dominant presence in the center of the field for her side.     M Isabelle York, Tophat - York had five goals and two assists during the three games in California. She was the player of the event. She was unstoppable in the attack. She showed off her quality on the ball with dazzling dribbling displays to slalom past defenders. She showed off her passing and vision with the assists. Her elite attribute is the finishing with either foot. She scored some highlight reel worthy goals. The consistency of her shot from outside of the box is really impressive.     M Makenna Mitchell, City SC - Mitchell starred in the attacking midfield role for her team. She scored the opening goal in the win over NEFC and helped her team secure the top spot in their group with a 2-0-1 record. Mitchell is a skillful player who can score from anywhere inside 30 yards.     F [player_tooltip player_id='279058' first='Cali' last='Hejduk'], [program_tooltip program_id='283302' first='Columbus' last='United'] - Hejduk was on the short list for top players at the event. She is a brilliant attacking player with an elite combination of skill and speed. The way she can control the ball in traffic and cut at such impossible angles really makes her stand out from her peers. She was the most difficult player to defend at this event.     F Mali Kennedy, Indy Premier - Kennedy was one of the top players from the event. She was effective in every game. She scored twice against Virginia Revolution in the opener. She also drew the foul that led to the free kick in the draw against Tophat. Kennedy is a skillful, speedy, competitive winger who is going to be a top talent to watch from the 2028 class.     F [player_tooltip player_id='270605' first='Jackie' last='Brownlee'], [program_tooltip program_id='283474' first='SJEB' last=''] - Brownlee scored four goals for her team as they went 3-0 at the event. She was a constant threat in the attack. Her fearless play and strength were the strong points of her game. She played as a center forward and attacking midfielder. She was unrelenting in her approach and rewarded with goals as one of the top scorers of the weekend.      Others considered: Charlotte Dix (Spokane Shadow), Sophie Kowalzyk (Tophat), [player_tooltip player_id='279139' first='Sydney' last='Thomas'] ([program_tooltip program_id='283302' first='Columbus' last='United']), Brooke Loudermilk (Galaxy SC), Giana Mazotas (New York SC), Gracie Lisak (City SC)

The Girls Academy Champions Cup at the Winter Showcase wrapped up from Southern California earlier this week. Prep Soccer was on hand for the action. Here is the Best XI from the 2010 age group.