Rankings Analysis: New Jersey’s best hit world stage

<p class="p1">The PrepSoccer rankings for the class of 2023 for New Jersey were released last week. The top juniors from New Jersey are some of the best players in the county. The No. 1 player for the class, [player_tooltip player_id="24190" first="Melina" last="Rebimbas"], is the starting forward for the U.S. U17 Women's National Team. She is currently in the Dominican Republic playing for the national team at the 2022 Concacaf Championship. Rebimbas, who plays her club ball for PDA, is a verbal commit to North Carolina.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">ECNL All-American [player_tooltip player_id="33228" first="Madison" last="Woodward"] is the No. 2 player in the class. Woodward and Rebimbas were both ECNL All-Americans in 2021 for the U16 age group. Woodward, the midfielder, is a terrific on-ball defender from that role - she is among the very best in the youth game in terms of her defending qualities. She approaches the defensive responsibilities with enthusiasm and is not afraid to harass players out of possession. On ball, she is technically sound and can play in tight spaces. She has a good first touch and is capable of consistency hitting long-distance passes with accuracy. [Update: Woodward was mistakenly listed as part of a commit for 2023. She is uncommitted at this time.]</p> <p class="p1">Rembibas is not the only international talent in this state. [player_tooltip player_id="23793" first="Madison" last="Krakower"], a top five forward in the state, is currently playing in the Concacaf U17 Championship with Puerto Rico. She has three goals in the tournament. Puerto Rico is in the quarterfinals with hopes of qualifying for the youth World Cup for the first time. Krakower is a talented forward with quality to create her own chances. She is part of the Maryland recruiting class.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">There is South American talent in New Jersey as well. Forward [player_tooltip player_id="43633" first="Allison" last="Tighe"] is part of the Peru U17 Women's National Team. Tighe is a finisher, exactly what you want from a center forward. She is not a big target, she is better as a player who works off the shoulder of a defender. She has a quick-burst first step. When she is in space, it's game over. She can score with either foot and under pressure. She is one of the top uncommitted talents in New Jersey for this class.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">[player_tooltip player_id="43007" first="Kyla" last="Holmes"] is one of the best goalkeepers in the state in the 2023 class. Holmes, a member of STA, had a standout performance in North Carolina over the weekend as part of the Girls Academy Spring Showcase. She is a verbal commit to Yale.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">Rutgers is winning the recruiting battle in the state for this class. The in-state program landed three of the players in the top 15 for this class with still four players still uncommitted. Michigan, another Big Ten program, is the other school with multiple commits from this class. The Wolverines landed U.S. Youth National Team goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id="33139" first="Claire" last="Heddings"], the best goalkeeper in the state, and PDA defender [player_tooltip player_id="24300" first="Stella" last="Tapia"]. Beside the previously mentioned commitments, Florida, Villanova, and Clemson each have one commit from a player ranked in the top 15 in the state.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p> <p class="p1">Check out the<a href="https://prepsoccer.com/new-jersey/rankings/girls/2023-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span class="s1"> New Jersey rankings for the class of 2023</span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p>