Chicago Inter impresses at first ECNL Girls Event after promotion from Regional League

After great success at multiple ages in the ECNL Girls Regional League last year, Chicago Inter was promoted from the ECNL Regional League – Heartland into the ECNL Girls Midwest Conference for the 2023-24 season. Inter is one of 13 clubs from around the country that have been promoted from the ECNL Regional League to the ECNL Girls over the last four years.

After high finishes at almost every age group in the Heartland, Inter sent two teams to the ECNL Girls Regional League Finals last season in Virginia, with their U17 team advancing to the ECNL Regional League Semifinals and their U14 team winning the ECNL Regional League Championship.

While Chicago Inter was excited about their opportunity to join the ECNL Regional League last season, Chicago Inter Girls Director Sena Halilovic made it clear that the club’s expectations were to earn their promotion into the ECNL Girls, and believes the process for Chicago Inter to accomplish that was clearly laid out by the ECNL.

“There were so many factors involved for us to come over and we followed through on everything we promised and we just can’t be happier now,” Halilovic said. “It was not only performing on the field. It was performing in other things, such as facilities, working with the league, being on time with everything, and organization in general.”

Fantastic @ECNLgirls event in Phoenix for our 06/05, 07, and 08 teams. Already looking forward to Tennessee! Grateful to have had Mary and Liz represent the club in the All-Star Selection game as well
06/05s: 3-0-0
07s: 2-1-0
08s: 1-1-1#MoreThanAClub pic.twitter.com/fupMIYbqva

— Chicago Inter SC (@chiINTER) November 14, 2023

From on the field details to receiving timely information before every event, Halilovic praised the professionalism of the experience in the ECNL Girls Regional League.

“It was a great experience. Everything was professional for us, our staff, our administrators, and of course for our players,” Halilovic said. “We haven’t experienced that in the past 20 years being with different leagues.”

When Chicago Inter went to their first ECNL Regional League event last year in Florida, Halilovic said the difference between it and other events they had been to in the past was night and day. The biggest of those differences seen in the amount of college coaches present at each game as well as the competition level.

“It was really competitive for us,“ Halilovic said. “Our U17 team last year had more than 100 college coaches see them play down in Florida. It was the first time ever for these kids to see that many college coaches on the sideline. It was impressive for us, our players, and our families. It gave us even more motivation to do well on and off the field to be promoted into the ECNL.”

(Players That Impressed: ECNL Girls Fall 2023 Phoenix National Event)

Now after being promoted into the ECNL, Halilovic said the club’s excitement leading into ECNL Girls Phoenix was at an all time high, as everyone within the club was excited for their opportunity to compete in their first ECNL National Event.

“After going to ECNL Regional League Finals in Virginia we saw how organized everything was,” Halilovic said. “Starting from me, running the club, my coaching staff, and all the players, you have no idea how excited everyone is. It’s not only for scouting purposes, but just playing different teams from all over the nation.”

This year at ECNL Phoenix, Chicago Inter had a very successful weekend in their first ECNL National Event. The G06/05s went 3-0 in Phoenix, the G07s went 2-1, and the G08s went 1-1-1.

After they had a few games under their belts, Chicago Inter’s Josslynn Farrare, Cara Groom, and Avery Lusk, all of the G08s team, described how different the game was at the ECNL level. Just like they had seen a rise in quality moving into the ECNL Regional League, they once again saw that at ECNL Phoenix. From the speed and intensity of the game to the number of college coaches present throughout the weekend at Reach 11 Sports Complex, all three players noted the step up in quality they had taken.

“All the games are at a much higher intensity and speed which means you have to play quickly and make decisions quickly,” Groom said.

“Going into the games you know that the competition is much better and there are no easy teams that you are playing against, so you have to have a better mentality going into each of the games, and it forces you to work harder,” Lusk said.

Both Farrare and Lusk talked about how experiencing all the scouts on the sidelines at each game will be a massive help for them as they continue to play in these events and get accustomed to playing in front of that many people.

“It gets all the nerves out now to see all the college coaches walking around and watching your games, so it really prepares you for the next few years,” Farrare said.

“It’s a good way to ease yourself into it, because you know they’re there and it gets you prepared for when it’s more serious later,” said Lusk.

With their first ECNL National Event now in the books, Halilovic says everyone in the club believes they are in the right spot within the ECNL platform and is excited about the years to come.

“We believe in the project. We believe in the ECNL,” Halilovic said. “We can’t wait for Tennessee, Florida, all the other upcoming events, and look forward to the years ahead of us.”