Jefferson Cup 2020 Championship Division Preview: U-15 Girls

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With brackets set for the 2020 Jefferson Cup, SoccerWire continues its annual article series previewing the event’s Championship Divisions. In this edition, we take a look ahead at the U-15 Girls age group.

*All standings & statistics current as of Jan. 30, 2020

Group A

Pipeline SC Pre-Academy (MD): A Maryland State Cup championship wasn’t enough for Pipeline SC in 2019. The team went on to win the US Youth Soccer Region I Championships, and advanced all the way to the semifinals of the USYS National Championships as well. Pipeline has also been nothing short of dominant in league and showcase competition.

Lower Merion SC Ignite (PA): Over the past year, LMSC has captured division championships at two of top showcase events on the East Coast. They won the top flight of the FC DELCO Players Cup in May 2019, and continued their success this fall with a first place finish at the VisitRaleigh.com Girls College Showcase in North Carolina.

World Class FC 2005 ECNL (NY): The 2020 Jefferson Cup will be a great warmup for World Class FC’s spring campaign in ECNL league play. The New York side is aiming to build on their second place finish in the North Division of the ECNL’s Northeast Conference last season. During the fall, World Class won the top flights of the Bethesda Premier Cup and the EDP Cup Fall Showcase.

McLean Youth Soccer 05 ECNL (VA): Behind the No. 2 ranked defense in the ECNL Mid-Atlantic Conference, McLean has racked up 12 wins in their first 17 conference games this season. The Northern Virginia side is back in the Jefferson Cup’s top bracket after placing second in the U-14 Championship Division in 2019.

Group B

Bethesda SC ECNL Real 05 (MD): Representing the ECNL Northeast Conference, Bethesda is extremely battle-tested in elite college showcase action. They won division titles at the 2019 Columbia Invitational Memorial Day Tournament, Discovery Cup and the VisitRaleigh.com Girls College Showcase, and recently placed second at their home club’s Bethesda Premier Cup.

Philadelphia SC Coppa Rage 05 (PA): Reigning Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup champion PSC Coppa Rage is well-established as one of the age group’s top contenders in US Youth Soccer’s East Region. The team finished atop the table last season in the US Youth Soccer National League Mid-Atlantic EDP Conference, and went on to reach the semifinals of the USYS Regional Championships.

NC Fusion 05 ECNL (NC): Well on their way to an ECNL Champions League playoff berth, NC Fusion currently holds the No. 9 spot in the ECNL’s national standings. They have compiled a dominant 14-3-1 record, outscoring conference opponents by a margin of 38-17.

Delaware FC 05 (DE): US Youth Soccer East Regional Championships 2019 finalist Delaware FC 05 is back in the Jefferson Cup’s top bracket once again. Delaware FC has piled up top finishes as some of the region’s most prestigious tournaments over the past year, including the WAGS Tournament (1st), Spirit United Kickoff Classic (1st), FC DELCO Fall Showcase (2nd) and FC DELCO Players Cup (2nd).