One of the top GK’s at the 2026 ECNL Nationals couldn’t be left off the Best XI list. Her match versus Michigan Hawks ECNL G10 continued to show why she has won ECNL All-Conference and All-American honors in previous years. She manages the game extremely well with great voice and athletic saves. Molly shows great command presence in the box and distributes accurately at all levels of the pitch. Gaffney’s solid play in the Championship match allowed her squad to rack up 3 goals and take home the coveted ECNL trophy to Colorado. Molly will be taking her talents up here to the PNW in 2028 to play for the University of Washington Huskies. She will be a great addition to an elite GK room.

The top ranked player in Colorado for a reason. She shut out one of if not the best team in the country in MVLA. Gaffney did everything required in today’s game and then some. Making save after save, cutting out cross after cross, coming off her line and distributing the ball with real quality throughout the game. Superstar performance for the Real Colorado Goalkeeper.

Molly Gaffney plays as a goal keeper for Real Colorado National G10. During this match, she played the first half and showcased her abilities well. Gaffney made big saves that kept her team in this match and was another outlet for the backline.

While she was on the pitch, she showed to be an active keeper that is thinking ahead of the play. In possession, she has accurate passing and is confident in her distribution. As soon as she makes a save, she has her head up and is looking to get her team up the pitch.

In the box, Gaffney displayed to have good hands, has a willingness to come off the line, and has good habits. She displayed her strengths in one vs one situations and reaction time. Overall, Molly Gaffney is a confident, strong, and communicates well with her team. She has excellent vision and her decision making makes a positive impact for her team.

Gaffney is an ECNL All-American and part of the US Soccer Youth National Team. She is the goalkeeper for the Real Colorado 2010 ECNL team. She is the only left footed goalkeeper in the top five of our rankings. She is also the best at ball tracking and moving her feet to get her body behind the shot. Gaffney doesn’t put a ton of crazy saves on game film, but it comes down to the work she does before the shot. She’s an expert at her positioning. She cuts off angles and shows perfect technique with her shot stopping. She rarely leaves a rebound thanks to that diligent approach prior to the shot. Gaffney is quick to make decisions with her distribution and loves to spring the attack with a long throw to an outlet. 

Gaffney’s Real Colorado National team tied all three matches over the weekend in Dallas. I watched her during their second match, a 2-2 draw with Bethesda SC, where she was able to showcase her skills. Even though the match was mostly happening in midfield, with intense battles for the ball, the goalkeeper was called upon on a few occasions and responded well, displaying solid positioning, excellent reflexes and strong solid foundations. Gaffney also did a good job with her feet, finding smart destinations for her passes and helping her team maintain possession.