Anyone who has watched Sadie play can see that she is destined for greatness. Her talents allowed her the honor to be named as Gatorade’s choice for NC Girls’ Soccer Best Player, and deservedly so. The striker has shown how complete a player she is in the final third all year long. Her dribbling and agility allow her to clear paths for herself spectacularly. Watching her go at opposing defenders feels almost unfair, seeing how unstoppable she is. In the box, she’ll beat the goalkeeper as if it were just as simple as a pass. Her positioning is always correct, making the job for her teammates even easier. They know that as soon as she gets the ball, magic will follow. If she isn’t scoring, she’s using her talent to service her teammates. She’ll play fantastic passes behind the defense as well as holding the ball up to play into space.

Sadie is not just a player with potential to have a fantastic and prolific career, she’s also a player who plays at a level above her peers. Listing all her attributes in a short excerpt would be difficult. However, her main ones are her dribbling, agility, intelligence, and finishing. Playing as the sole striker, she keeps the opposing center-backs busy all match long. When she receives the ball, she clears her own path brilliantly. Her ability to maneuver past defenders in tight spaces swiftly and skillfully puts her in prime positions to shoot, even when it seemed impossible. When she’s one-on-one with the keeper, she keeps her composure to slot it in the back of the net easily. She demonstrates talent far above her age as she has a fantastic goal tally for the season.

Another ACC recruit, the attack-minded Peterson, will join Clemson in 2026 and look to continue developing her skills on the ball, which already create opportunities for herself and her teammates. Peterson looks comfortable playing in multiple positions and areas of the pitch with skills that easily translate to any position with smart movement, strength on the ball, and a willingness to fight and run for her team. Comfortable passing and scoring with both feet, Peterson looks ready to take on the next level soon.

Peterson is really agile and quick, showing tremendous ability to stop and start, to switch feet or change direction as she is constantly keeping defenders off balance. She can take on several defenders when she’s carrying the ball down the pitch, and can usually make easy work of them. She also takes the ball down so neatly and in a very tidy fashion that she can then turn quickly and shoot, or make one move to free up space and get a shot off. She is a tremendous finisher with a great instinct of where to be in order to be a threat and how to finish.

  Sadie Peterson Sadie Peterson 5'7" | F/M Pine Lake Prep | 2026 #348 Nation NC has an immense level of ball control and awareness of her teammates’ runs. I have noticed her superb skills as a false 9, giving support to teammates and finding the space in the box for a smooth finish. Peterson is comfortable with both feet and uses this strength to finish most chances she gets. Sadie’s quick movements and close ball control allows her to find space in even the tightest defenses and has composure to finish or pass. She has played in the Girls Academy Talent ID and US Soccer Regional ID events, showing how she is an elite forward in the game. Sadie’s ability to run in behind and be a clinical finisher is why she is another one to watch for this upcoming season.