Mackenzie is coming off of winning a VA Class 6 State Championship with Deep Run, adding another accomplishment to an impressive list. Vanags is a very good defender in space. Her height and length make it difficult for opposing attackers to get by her. She also has great awareness, doing a lot of the work before the ball is even near her. She shows this high IQ when playing as a LB, CB, or RB, as she can truly play anywhere in the back line and be just as effective. Her toughness as a ball winner when she contests a 50/50 or a set piece played into the box also stands out as she comes out on top more often than not. Vanags is also a wonderful distributor. She is capable of playing quick, short, accurate passes to break pressure, and also playing accurate, long passes when she is able to get her head up and pick out teammates.

Vanags is one of the most impressive defenders in Virginia. She is hard-nosed, dedicated and fierce. She just stands out in all aspects when you see her on film. She is a true ball-winner as she dominates in the air, and she wins her challenges on the floor as well, showing great timing with her tackles. She’s a stout 1v1 defender, proving difficult to beat because she has great footwork, agility and anticipation. She has the speed needed to keep up with attackers and to help the defense recover if they get caught out, as well. I liked what I saw of her ability to possess as she seems calm on the ball, she can move the ball and can break lines with her passing ability.

Mackenzie has a high soccer IQ, allowing her to anticipate plays and do a lot of her defensive work before the ball has been played near her. At 5′ 9″, she has good size, which, combined with her strong work rate, helps in the air on set pieces and with balls played over the top. Vanags has also shown the pace to keep up with attackers when a through ball is played in near her. The tools that really set her apart are how composed she is with the ball at her feet and her versatility. Mackenzie is a very accurate passer at every level, allowing her team to get forward beyond the initial press of the opposition. She can play anywhere along the back line and be very effective. Vanags’ accolades have started piling up, adding 2nd Team All-Metro Richmond, and 2nd Team All Mid-Atlantic ECNL ’08 in the past few months.