The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) teams had a busy schedule this past weekend, competing against the Concorde Fire and Birmingham United at Seminole Soccer Complex.
On Saturday, the U-14s opened their weekend with a narrow 2-1 victory over Concorde in a very tight game. The young Lions completed the weekend without suffering a loss, thrashing Birmingham United 4-0 on Sunday. Jordan Michaels was the standout player for the U-14s this weekend, as she continues to prove herself as one of the best defenders in the league.
The U-15s drew Concorde 0-0 in their opening fixture, before producing a 7-1 drubbing over Birmingham United on Sunday afternoon. Madison Sagas was the player of the weekend for the U-15s, scoring a hat-trick against Birmingham, propelling her tally to eight goals so far this season.
City’s U-16 side defeated Concorde 2-1 on Saturday, maintaining their place at the top of the league. On the following day, the U-16s drew Birmingham 0-0 in a tough match. Marisa Maynes was the standout player this weekend, after two very strong games. Maynes was instrumental in connecting the game and disrupting play, impressing coaches on both ends of the field.
The U-17s had a difficult weekend, as they dropped three points in each of their matches. After suffering a 2-0 loss to Concorde, the U-17s fell to Birmingham 2-1 on Sunday afternoon. Victoria Dorr was the most impressive player as she showed her ability to play multiple positions. Transitioning from outside back to center midfield, Dorr still managed to be the most consistent player in both games.
The U-18s opened their weekend with a harrowing 7-0 defeat to Concorde. The senior girls responded mightily, however, handing Birmingham its first loss of the season with a 1-0 victory.
While discussing the results, Senior Girls Academy Director Alan Hough said, “The results this past weekend show our progress as a Club. Concorde Fire is the elite Club in the Southeast and I believe we’ve reached that point. For us to split with them during the weekend is a testament to that. If you look at the conference tables, we’re in the top three in every age group. It’s exciting to see how far we’ve come.”
