Three more clubs join Girls ECNL for 2018-2019 season

RICHMOND, VA (Via ECNL) – The Girls Elite Clubs National League has announced that LA Breakers FC (Los Angeles, CA), SUSA FC (Long Island, NY) and Indiana Fire (Westfield, IN) will be joining the Girls ECNL beginning in the 2018-2019 ECNL season as new All-In member clubs.

LA Breakers FC was formed through a merger between FC Los Angeles and Westside Breakers. Collectively, the girls’ club teams have won 7 CalSouth State Cup championships and placed more than 100 players on college soccer teams including UCLA, Stanford, Santa Clara, Michigan, Princeton, Georgetown and USC. The most notable alum is New Zealand National Team captain Ali Riley, who has played in three World Cups and three Olympics.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the Girls ECNL for the 2018-2019 season,” said Richard Simms, LA Breakers FC Girls Director of Coaching. “The league will provide our players the perfect platform to compete at the highest level, be exposed to the best collegiate programs in the country, and still be able to represent their high schools as student-athletes. The ECNL totally aligns with our vision and philosophies on player development.”

+NCAA Women’s Soccer Commitment Announcements: April 2018

SUSA FC is based on Long Island, NY with a long history of individual and competitive success. In the 2016-2017 season, the SUSA U16 girls claimed the NPL National Championship, the SUSA U14 team advanced to the NPL National Finals, and the SUSA U18/U19 team appeared in the NPL National semi-finals.  That same year, the SUSA U17 team advanced to the US Club Soccer National Cup final. SUSA players have players committed to schools like Georgetown, Boston College, St. John’s University, Hofstra, Seton Hall and many other highly regarded programs in the past years.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to join the Girls ECNL, which is considered by many as the best female youth league in the world,” said Ron Alber, SUSA Girls Director of Coaching. “Membership in the Girls ECNL will provide our club with opportunity to further develop the culture of our club, strengthen our relationships with the nation’s top clubs, and expose our players to the best competition and college showcasing platform in the country.”

Indiana Fire (affiliate of Chicago Fire) will be rejoining the Girls ECNL in 2018, with an excellent resume of player development and team success in the league in previous years. Indiana Fire is a merger between Westfield Youth Soccer and Carmel United, with their home at Grand Park, one of the premier facilities in the country, along with Indy Eleven and the Indianapolis Colts. The club includes over 3,400 players, with the Class of 2018 graduates committed to fantastic collegiate soccer programs: Florida, Florida State, Arizona, Butler, Northwestern, Belmont, Xavier, Sanford and Notre Dame. Long-time Women’s National Team members Lauren Holiday (Cheney) and Lori Lindsey are well known alums of the club.

+READ: Tottenham Hotspur partners with Florida Elite Soccer Academy

“Indiana Fire is thrilled to be a member of the ECNL once again,” said Joe Sochacki, Girls Elite Program Director for Indiana Fire. “The club and our membership are excited for the competition the league provides, as well as the strengthening of our relationships with fellow member clubs across the country.  We are looking forward to taking part in the 2018-19 season and beyond.”

The Girls ECNL is one of the nation’s top development and competition platform for female soccer players, with conference competition in six age groups (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U18/19) and unmatched collegiate exposure through the ECNL National Events, the largest collegiate showcases in the country.  In addition to the competition platform, the Girls ECNL offers player identification and development opportunities for top players in every conference, unique coaching education and club development programs, and player health and education resources.

LA Breakers FC, SUSA FC and Indiana Fire will begin formal competition in the Girls ECNL in August 2018.