ECNL Phoenix: Best performances from the 2025s

Phoenix, Arizona - The first ECNL National Event for the high school ages wrapped up on Sunday from Reach 11 Sports Complex in Arizona. PrepSoccer was on hand throughout the event.   Below is a list of players from the 2025 class that stood out from the games. The standouts from the 2024 class were released on Monday. Check back later this week for the other classes, and an overall Best XI from ECNL Phoenix.   ECNL Phoenix: Standout Performances from the Class of 2025    [player_tooltip player_id='18886' first='Ava' last='Cashman'], Slammers FC HB Koge 06 - Cashman is an incredibly smart player. She is always well positioned. She has a well-rounded game that is well suited for the next level.    [player_tooltip player_id='19471' first='Hailey' last='Gordon'], Slammers FC HB Koge 06 - Gordon is an easy player to envision at the next level. She is dominant in the attacking third. In the opening half, her shooting effort was slightly off frame. But she still has the qualities that make her one of the top forwards in this class.    [player_tooltip player_id='19150' first='Ava' last='Harrison'], San Diego Surf 07 - Coming into events, there is a high expectation on Youth National Team players regarding their performance at the club level. There are many times that players at that level are off lists like this because the performance is expected to standout among peers. Harrison earned special recognition though. She is a two-way winger who does not take any shortcuts. It's clear that she has continued to work on her craft as she put on a show in Phoenix.    [player_tooltip player_id='19248' first='Cassidy' last='Drago'], San Diego Surf 07 - Drago played center forward for Surf. She was nearly impossible to knock off the ball. She was the key link piece for the Surf style of play.    Ava Sherrer, San Diego Surf 07 - I wrote down that Sherrer completed nearly every pass against MVLA, which is no easy task. The defensive midfielder was excellent with two-touch play. She made good decisions and allowed her teammates to shine around her.    [player_tooltip player_id='54188' first='Katie' last='Ellermeyer'], San Diego Surf 07 - Ellermeyer is an excellent two-way midfielder. She is a player that quickly earns appreciation from scouts. She is smart in her positioning and always seems to be open. Ellermeyer is a top midfielder from California's 2025 class.    [player_tooltip player_id='20018' first='Nicole' last='Kim'], MVLA 07 - Surf made an effort to crowd Kim off the ball, and she did well in getting on the ball as much as possible. She did not strike the ball cleanly on the slick service with her shooting, but she was still effective with her passing.    [player_tooltip player_id='20187' first='Shiana' last='Samarasinghe'], MVLA 07 - A good first touch and a healthy appetite for pressing the defense is an easy way to standout from the youth game. Samarasinghe is much more than that of course. She did not see much of the ball early against Surf, but she made the most of every touch. She was willing to make the runs to chase down the ball, and made Surf a little uneasy with her pressing.    [player_tooltip player_id='19744' first='Laila' last='Edris'], MVLA 07 - Edris was fully committed to both sides of the ball. She pressed hard and then attacked with ferocity. She is very good in the transition. She should be on the radar for college coaches as a top winger (with quality to be a wing back) from the class of 2025.    Lucy Garnsey, Colorado Rapids 06 - Garnsey made a save in the second half of the game against Solar that should live on her highlight reel for a long time. It was a kick save that required a quick-reaction readjustment. Garnsey looks to be another top goalkeeper coming out of Colorado.    [player_tooltip player_id='26405' first='Alexa' last='Barker'], Solar SC 06 - Barker was very good in the two Solar games that I saw. She was clean in the tackle and did well in anticipating when to step to intercept passes. She excelled in her role and allowed her teammates to shine in their attacking roles. [player_tooltip player_id='33383' first='Abby' last='Mills'] was also a bright spot for Solar.   Lillian Freer, SLSG Navy 06 - Freer impressed me for her play in the midfield for SLSG. She was a high-energy player who kept up the level from the opening whistle to the final whistle. She did well in connecting passes too. The SLSG Navy 06 is a joy to watch with their quick-passing and clever movement off the ball. The intelligent midfielder is a major reason why the team is able to play that style.    [player_tooltip player_id='21749' first='Kai' last='Price'], Concorde Fire Platinum 07 - Price makes the game look so easy. She is a fluid athlete who is always in control. She covers ground with ease. It's awe-inspiring to watch her chase down forwards. She is a top center back from the 2025 class.    Izabella Ray, Legends FC 07 - Ray made an outstanding save in the first half against Concorde Fire Platinum. She did well in getting across the goal to push away a shot to the upper corner of the net.    [player_tooltip player_id='21842' first='Madyson' last='Bentil'], Concorde Fire Platinum 07 - Bentil is a player that the opposition has to be aware of anywhere near the attacking third, because she is capable of scoring from inside of 40 yards. She strikes the ball with excellent technique with good power. She is clever on the ball with her movement and body feints.    Lyla Marrs, OK Energy 07 - The captain of the OK Energy squad was up for every challenge. She had an excellent showing at the event despite the team results. The center back has an excellent feel for the game and battled hard in every tackle.    [player_tooltip player_id='26393' first='Ainsley' last='McCammon'], Solar SC 07 - McCammon is another youth national team player who vastly exceeded my lofty expectations. She is an outstanding two-way midfielder. She is really growing into a role as a confident leader of one of the top club teams in the country. It's easy to project her as a difference-maker at the next level, which should make her a top target in the 2025 class.    [player_tooltip player_id='26768' first='Hannah' last='Jordan'], Solar SC 07 - Jordan was always around the ball. Jordan is a dynamic attacking talent with a bright future. She was a key part of Solar's success in Phoenix.   [player_tooltip player_id='26670' first='Emerson' last='Garcia'], Solar SC 07 - It felt like Solar was always in a rush in their opening game against Sporting Blue Valley. Garcia did a good job in being vocal to try to get the game under control. I was impressed with the center back partnership between Garcia and [player_tooltip player_id='26971' first='Leah' last='Negeri'], another 2025.    Cherry Yu, Sporting Blue Valley 07 - Yu might have done the most to improve her stock from the 2025 class. I'm a big fan of her game after this weekend. She is a sophisticated player, who clearly loves and studies the game. She is a forward who pulled off a beautiful dummy against Solar. She also hit a shot off the post. She had an assist against Slammers Koge. She is a big time prospect from Sporting Blue Valley - and should be knocking on a national team call-up.    Eden Nicholson, San Juan SC 07 - Nicholson had an incredible goal against Eclipse Select. With a defender all over her and falling to the ground, she hit a unstoppable shot off the post and into the goal.    [player_tooltip player_id='19915' first='Megan' last='Butters'], San Juan SC 07 - Butters was the left center back for San Juan. She moves her feet really well for a player as tall as she is. She is hard to get past and sets up a defensive wall for her side.    Maggie Koerwitz, San Juan SC 07 - Koerwitz was the other San Juan center back that stood out to me. She is excellent at dispossessing players. She does a good job in timing her tackle off a bad touch and winning the ball cleanly. She has a knack for reading the opposing forward and taking advantage of mistakes. Taylor Brandon scored a good goal for San Juan. Lameese Batarseh had a strong showing in the midfield.    Stephanie Salmeron, Eclipse Select 07 - Salmeron  stood out because she has a clean first touch and quick feet. She can navigate in tight spaces and pulled off a couple of slip passes. Annie Philbin, Gabi Poretto, and Elle Larsen were also standouts for Eclipse.    [player_tooltip player_id='33313' first='Melanie' last='Barcenas'], San Diego Surf 06 - The San Diego Surf team is so much fun to watch. Barcenas is a key cog for the team. She is the attacking midfielder and brings an electricity to the side. Her game has always been technical and skillful, but recently she looks to be really improving on her defensive work. She was pressing on turnovers immediately and created changes with that work.    Abigail Burton, Sporting Blue Valley 07 - The right center back scored a goal off a corner kick against Slammers Koge. She had a nice side-volley into the open net.    Addie Wilkie, Sporting Blue Valley 07 - Wilkie had some standout moments for Sporting Blue Valley. She showed glimpses where she can be an influential player at a high level, as she continues to gain more confidence on the ball while under pressure.    [player_tooltip player_id='63471' first='Mimi' last='Yamamoto'], Bay Area Surf 07 - Yamamoto was one of the best defensive midfielders at the event. Her field awareness was elite - she is constantly scanning the field and taking snapshots of her surroundings. She plays simply with one or two-touch passes.    [player_tooltip player_id='33320' first='Jocelyn' last='Travers'], Bay Area Surf 07 - Travers, the left back, continues to put together stellar performances at the club level. It's such an unfair advantage to have a player that good in the attack playing at left back. She scored against Sting on Saturday. Right back Kaitlyn Lowry was also a standout for Bay Area Surf.    Katie Bailey, Sting Dallas Royal 07 - Bailey's effort easily earned her a place on this list. She was committed to make an effort defensively as the first line of pressing for her side. When she won possession of the ball, she looked to strike quickly. Against a top team like Bay Area Surf, Bailey showed she can make a difference on the field. [player_tooltip player_id='151866' first='Briannah' last='Lilly'] and Presley See were also standouts for Sting.    Jalen Chaney, Dallas Texans 06 - Chaney was excellent for Dallas Texans throughout the weekend, but really impressed me against LAFC So Cal. She is a center forward who is a good finisher and puts herself in spots to make a difference. She finished the event with three goals and three assists - and made a name for herself as a top center forward from Texas' 2025 class.    [player_tooltip player_id='27122' first='Natalie' last='Singleton'], Dallas Texans 06 - Singleton had a stellar showing against LAFC So Cal. She provided the assist on Chaney's goal. She showed good vision and skill in the center of the field.    [player_tooltip player_id='20171' first='Scarlette' last='Druian'], LAFC So Cal 06 - Druian, the outside back, scored directly off a corner kick. It was wonderfully struck ball and showed off her skill in dead-ball situations.    Raleigh Greason, Real Colorado National 07 - Greason is a name that we will be hearing a lot more in the next year or so. She is a top winger from the 2025 class. She is one of the captain's of the Real Colorado team, and her play shows why. She is the type of attacking talent that scares the opposing coach. She is unrelenting in her approach and will wear down the opposition. She has all of the tools that scouts want from a winger.    Abby Ballek, Real Colorado 07 - Ballek scored the lone goal in the win over Wilmington Hammerheads. She was calm and buried the chance. She has a strong technical foundation and looks ready for the next level.    Karina Peat, Wilmington Hammerheads 07 - Peat has special qualities on the ball. She is a bright attacking talent in the midfield. She can put defenders into a backtrack immediately. She has great pace and ball control. She almost dribbled through the whole Real Colorado team at one point. Peat looks every bit the part of a top player from 2025.    Kiley Peat, Wilmington Hammerheads 07 - Peat stood out for her well-rounded game. The defensive midfielder did everything well. She was in for tackles, intercepted passes, and connected the lines for her side.    Reese George, Wilmington Hammerheads 07 - George did well in the game against Real Colorado. She made some key tackles to shut down the talented attack. She is a promising center back to put on every scout's radar.    [player_tooltip player_id='26532' first='Aviana' last='Gutierrez'], FC Dallas 07 - Gutierrez made two good saves early in the game against Beach FC. She was quick off her line and did well in collecting the ball when making a play to stop an attacker. Natalie Hernandez and [player_tooltip player_id='26783' first='Holly' last='Storer'] were also standouts for FC Dallas. Samira Minor scored the goal for FC Dallas against Beach FC.    [player_tooltip player_id='64110' first='Reese' last='Wroblewski'], Beach FC 07 - The Beach FC outside back made a name for herself against FC Dallas. The right back showed that she can compete against anyone at this level. She is good in 1v1 defending and also can get into the attack.    Valiana Tu'ua, Beach FC 07 - Tu'ua saw quite a bit of the ball in the opening half against FC Dallas. She was a willing runner and did well in earning possession for her team in 50/50 balls. The center forward is a promising prospect.    [player_tooltip player_id='63946' first='Shannon' last='Davidson'], Beach FC 07 - Davidson hit a shot off the crossbar. The midfielder was a bright spot for Beach. She made good passes and did well in her movement off the ball. She is a player to know from the class of 2025.    Brooklyn Jones, Utah Royals AZ 07 - Jones was a standout at center back for Utah Royals. She covered ground to get into the right spots to support her teammates.    Genevieve Hull, Kansas City Athletics 07 - Hull did well for Kansas City Athletics. She played as a box-to-box midfielder. She liked to get into the attack and provide some playmaking for her side.    [player_tooltip player_id='33364' first='Mary' last='Long'], Kansas City Athletics 07 - Long showed her quality in the game against Utah Royals. She impressed with her finishing ability with either foot. The talented attacking midfielder is a top target for 2025.   Reese Sochaki, Indiana Fire Academy 07 - Sochaki, who I believe was wearing No. 24 on Sunday against Legends, was an absolute terror on the right wing. Dynamic on the ball, powerful in tackles, and capable of absolutely smashing the skin off of the ball. She was unlucky not to score early in the game.

Phoenix, Arizona - The first ECNL National Event for the high school ages wrapped up on Sunday from Reach 11 Sports Complex in Arizona. PrepSoccer was on hand throughout the event.