ECNL Girls 2022 Tennessee National Event Day 2 Recap

The 2022 ECNL Girls Tennessee National Event continued on Saturday with 200 teams across the U16-U18/19 age groups competing in front of hundreds of college coaches.

See below for a look back at two of the day’s top games.

Concorde Fire Platinum vs. Ohio Elite (U17)

Day two of ECNL Tennessee featured compelling games throughout the day, including a comeback win for Concorde Fire Platinum as they took on Ohio Elite SA.

Concorde Fire Platinum 06s have had a strong weekend so far in Tennessee. Coming off a 1-0 victory over the Boston Bolts on Friday, Concorde Fire looked to make it two wins in as many days when they took the field on Saturday.

Concorde Fire fell behind in the match, but, led by an inspired performance by their defense and a key goal from Kara Croone, they were able to battle back from a goal down to grab a 2-1 victory.

“Overall, we fought and performed,” Head Coach Caroline Maynor said after the game. “We were down, but we fought back and ended up winning the game.”

Maynor praised her defense for their effort throughout the match, most notably mentioning Kylie Briscoe, Cameron Maynor, and Kourtney Osborne for their efforts in central defense.

Maynor made sure to note, while those three have been excellent for them this weekend, they put in this kind of effort and are exceptional for their team all the time.

“They’re athletic, fast, strong, and they clean up everything for us,” Maynor said.

Win OR lose, they’re always beside you through it all. ?

Show some love to your squad! ?‍♀️ #ECNLTN pic.twitter.com/hR0ocyEZXD

— ECNL Girls (@ECNLgirls) December 3, 2022

Arlington Soccer vs. CESA (U16)

Another team that has had a successful weekend so far are the Arlington Soccer 07s. After a 1-1 draw yesterday against Scorpions, Arlington Soccer earned a 2-1 win over CESA on Saturday.

Head Coach Haytham Mansur expressed how excited his team is to have the opportunity to participate in these showcases.

“I think the event offers a great opportunity for our athletes to be showcased,” Mansur said. “I’m happy with our play, happy with our competitiveness, and we’re just excited to have the opportunity to be here.”

As the season progresses, Mansur believes the different styles of play his team has seen this weekend will help prepare them for tests they will face later on in the year, ultimately helping his team continue to develop in a positive direction.

“One of the benefits of doing these showcases is that you get to play against a team from a different region. Every region provides a different dynamic,” Mansur said. “Playing against a different style of team is always paramount to making sure your team is developing and moving in the right direction.”

Two of the performances from his team that really stood out to Mansur over the weekend were the play of both his goalkeepers, Charlotte Kulikosky and Alison White.

“I thought they both played really well in both games,” Mansur said.

Mansur also noted the play of team captain Danicka Miller and how her leadership plays a key role in the success of their team.

“I thought she did a very good job in both games of absorbing pressure,” Mansur said. “She really helps control things, and one of her greatest assets is when things aren’t going well her leadership excels.”

“It’s easy to be a leader when things are going well. It’s hard when sometimes we’re in spells where we’re not keeping the ball, we’re panicking a little bit, and that’s when she really steps up.”

A well-executed match by @arlingtonsoccer U17s sees them take home the victory. @CESA2004 cut the deficit in half late but ultimately Arlington walks away with a 2-1 win. #ECNLTN pic.twitter.com/8QK9snvuVT

— ECNL Girls (@ECNLgirls) December 3, 2022