Potomac area clubs show well at ECNL National Playoffs in Seattle
Potomac area clubs BRYC Academy, McLean Youth Soccer and Richmond United each had teams achieve high honors at the ECNL National Playoffs last week in Seattle. Highlighting the group was the McLean U-18/19 squad, which captured the ECNL Champions League national title.
+ECNL National Playoffs Results
+ECNL National Finals Schedule / Info
July 6-7, 2018 – West Creek Complex, Richmond, VA
BRYC Elite Academy
BRYC Elite Academy had a fantastic showing in the U-17 Showcase Cup, making a semifinal appearance in this year’s tournament. BRYC’s trip to the semifinals included a pair of impressive results against FC Dallas (3-0) and Sereno Soccer Club (1-0). While PDA got the best of them in the semifinals, their hard work and determination will certainly be something that they can build off of going into next season.
In the U-15 Champions League, BRYC finished tied for second (1-1-1, 4 points) in Group C, just narrowly missing out on a chance to advance. Although they started play on the right foot, defeating TSC Hurricane 3-1, they came up just short, 1-0, against Utah Avalanche in their second match. In their Group C finale, they went against Eclipse Select Soccer Club, earning a 1-1 draw, but just missed out on advancing.
+READ: Stage set for 2018 ECNL Nationals Finals
McLean Youth Soccer
McLean claimed top honors in the U-18/U-19 Champions League, going undefeated through the group stage and fending off several quality opponents en route to the title. In Group B, they outscored their opponents 13-1, pulling a goal differential which was the highest among all sides in the U-18/U-19 Champions League. They defeated SLSG-IL 2-0, the Pittsburgh Riverhound 8-0, and Heat FC 3-1 to earn a spot in the knockout round.
In the semifinals, they defeated the Colorado Storm 2-0 leading to a date in the finals with Ohio Premier. With two sides that went undefeated in the ECNL regular season a tight, close match was expected. The match did not disappoint with McLean and Ohio trading attacking chances. But McLean persevered, earning the 2-1 result.
And we have a NATIONAL CHAMPION! @McLeanECNL is able to score late in the second extra time and are VICTORIOUS!
What an AMAZING and GRITTY performance by both teams. .@OPSOCCER1 #ECNLPLAYOFFS pic.twitter.com/8bKlWs58qS
— ECNL (@theECNL) June 26, 2018
In the U-17 Champions League, McLean went undefeated through the group stage, earning seven out of nine points in three matches. Their high-powered attack, which scored 64 goals during the regular season, was in full display as they defeated Arsenal FC 5-1 in their first game in Group A. They followed that up with a similar effort in their second match, a 5-0 win over Elite Girls Academy. A tough 1-1 draw against TSC Hurricanes on Monday ended group play for McLean and gave them a difficult opponent in the knockout stage: Minnesota Thunder Academy. Although McLean did their best to crack a difficult Thunder defense, they fell short of reaching the semifinals with a 1-0 loss.
Meanwhile in the U-16 Champions League, McLean came close to advancing to the knockout stage. However, a 2-0 loss in their first match in Group B to the San Diego Surf proved to be their undoing. Despite not advancing, they did pull off two excellent results in Group B, including a 3-1 win over Challenge SC and a 2-0 win over Real Colorado. That coupled with their impressive record in the Mid-Atlantic Conference this season (first place, 11-2-1, 34 points) should have their side feeling optimistic for next season.
Richmond United
The Richmond United U-14 squad had an impressive showing out in the Pacific Northwest, posting a perfect 3-0-0 record during Champions League group play. United outscored the competition 13-3 overall, with their +10 goal differential ranking the second-highest among all 32 teams in the U-14 Champions League.
During Group G action, Richmond United earned a hard fought 3-2 win over Washington Premier, before storming past Florida side Armada WFC by a 7-1 scoreline, and shutting out Connecticut FC 3-0. United’s postseason run came to an end in the quarterfinals, coming up short 3-1 against Northern California side MVLA.
