Players To Watch: Girls Academy 2023-2024 Midwest Conference

(Pictured Above: SoccerWire Featured Player Sonoma Bever with SC Wave)

The Girls Academy 2023-2024 season is officially underway, with clubs from across the United States kicking off league play this fall.

To help preview the competition, SoccerWire will be providing Players To Watch from across all 10 Conferences in the U15-U19 age groups. For this edition, we will be focusing on the Midwest Conference, which spans across the states of Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. The Midwest Conference is a brand new Conference to the GA and includes new members Sporting Nebraska FC and Galaxy SC.

Players are listed according to their graduation year. To submit additional nominations for Players to Watch, click here.

2027

Kylie Steel | Midfielder
SC Wave 07 (WI)

Bagged a key goal in Wave’s opening weekend victory over VSA Rush, pushing the side to a 2-0-0 record early in the 2023-2024 season. Steel is a highly technical player that can find gaps within a defense and immediately exploit them.

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Sophia Cocumelli | Forward
Kansas Rush 09 (MO)

Coming off a 34 goal, 18 assist season while playing with her former club Sporting Blue Valley in the ECNL-RL, Sophia is expecting big things with Rush this season. She is a two-time Presidents Cup State Champion, and Gothia Cup bronze mentalist.

2026

Graduation: 2026

Mckenna Wigfield

Midfielder Forward

Galaxy SC

Girls Academy

Galaxy SC begins its inaugural season as a club in the Girls Academy Midwest Conference. Wigfield leads her U17 team, which is coming off trips to the USYS Nationals and Regionals. The captain controls the middle of the field for Galaxy with her quickness, agility and tenacity going after balls in the air. She’s a tireless worker and two-way player whose versatility allows her to play all over the field. Her leadership, creativity and vision will be critical for her team to be successful in its first GA season.

Graduation: 2026

Libby Magnone

Midfielder

Rockford Raptors

ECNL Girls

Magnone has joined the already impressive SC Wave who are coming off of a 4th place finish in the Girls Academy Playoffs behind the offensive performance of Sonoma Bever, Clare Shea, and Jess Fernau and a solid back line anchored by Brylie Walos. She adds her field vision, pinpoint passing, speed, and field presence to an already talented midfield and has notched two assists in the first two games of the SC Wave Midwest Conference Girls Academy fall season.

Graduation: 2026

Hailey Crabb

Defender

MTSU Women

Kansas Rush

Girls Academy

Hailey joined Kansas Rush GA mid-season 2022 and anchored the back line with her mix of physical play and technical skill. She leads the team from the back line with her awareness of the game and strong communication skills. Not only is Hailey able to dominate the back line, but has the ability drive the ball up the field, win challenging 50/50 balls or aerial plays.

Olivia Halunen | Defender
Salvo SC 07 (MN)

Anchored a Salvo SC backline that earned a spot in the GA National Playoffs, where they blanked West Coast Soccer (5-0) and held a strong attacking team in Eastern Washington Surf to just one goal. Although she primarily plays in defense, Halunen can also slot into the midfield using her expert vision and controlled passes to jumpstart possessions.

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Stella Braddock | Defender
VSA Rush 08 (IA)

Helped book VSA Rush a spot in last year’s U15 Playoffs thanks to her tight marking of attackers and her strong communication skills with her teammates. As their left centerback, Braddock can whip long crosses to teammates in dangerous territory but can also lay off of the gas and hit a short, precise pass to slow down play.

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Addi Burkemper | Winger
SC Wave 08 (WI)

Netted a brace in SC Wave’s 4-0 win against Sporting Nebraska to open up the 2023-2024 GA regular season. Burkemper possesses limitless speed and can take a small amount of space to operate with and turn it into a goal-scoring opportunity for either herself or her teammates. Participated in a U.S. Youth National Team ID Camp in 2022.

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Jessica Fernau | Midfielder
SC Wave 07 (WI)

Scored two goals and added two assists in Wave’s match in August against VSA. She was also awarded Player of the Game honors in Wisconsin’s Division 1 State finals in 2023.

2025

Graduation: 2025

Sonoma Bever

Forward

Wake Forest Women

SC Wave

Girls Academy

Started her 2023-2024 GA season in fine form, scoring a hat trick to help defeat Sporting Nebraska 3-0. She added her fourth on the season in their 4-1 victory over VSA. Wave are hoping for another strong season from Bever, who was integral in their run last season to the Semifinals.

Graduation: 2025

Charlotte Woodward

Forward

Louisiana Tech Women

Kansas Rush

Girls Academy

Speedy & smart target striker who is able to find separation from the defense for precise finishes or clever passes and tactics to set her teammates up for the finish. Charlotte led the offensive attack last year in goals and assists and with new reinforcements on her Kansas Rush GA 07 team, this will be quite the year to watch Charlotte and team.

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Ashley Abruzzo | Goalkeeper
Salvo SC 07 (MN)
Led Salvo to two major results in the GA Playoffs, including a clean sheet against West Coast Soccer. At 5’10” , she is unafraid to go up for challenging crosses and set pieces that come into the box and has a good sense of timing of when to speed up or slow down play.

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Riley Lijewski | Forward
Salvo SC 07 (MN)

Scored 28 goals last season for Salvo SC, earning her third invitation to the GA Midwest Talent ID Camp. Lijewski is a highly versatile player that seems comfortable at the number seven, eleven, ten, and six positions. At 6’0″ she is also an asset on set pieces and can use her height to hit shots on target or create chances for her teammates.

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Lauren Nidey | Goalkeeper
VSA Rush 07 (IA)

A 5’11” goalkeeper who has had multiple Division 1 schools interested in having her sign, the 2025 has verbally committed to the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin. In addition to her standout work on the field, she is a team captain and Conference Representative for the GA.

2024

Joella Livingston | Midfielder
Central Illinois United 06 (IL)

Played an integral part in Central Illinois’ attacking during their time at the GA New Jersey Showcase in June. The group walked away from the Garden State with two wins and ten goals thanks in large to Livingston’s dribbling and ball distribution skills. She can also take the decisive shot, when called upon.