U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy East Conference Fall 2019 Season Recap

As we head into the holiday season, U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy East Conference clubs have wrapped up the fall portion of their 2019-2020 regular season schedule.

Following a trip to Florida in December for the DA Winter Cup, teams across the East Conference will enjoy a well-earned break for the next couple months, until the spring portion of the regular season slate kicks off in 2020.

Continue reading for a look at how things stand across the U15-U18/19 age groups in the Atlantic, Northeast and Southeast Divisions at the conclusion of the fall campaign.

U-15

Atlantic Division

With a dominant record of 9-1-0, The St. James FC Virginia sits atop the division and ranks No. 4 nationally in the age group. Their 37 goals scored are tied for the 2nd-most in the country, with 15 of those coming courtesy of Viviana Pope.

Arlington Soccer Association is the only unbeaten team in the division, as they sit in 2nd place with a 5-0-1 record. The Northern Virginia side has outscored opponents 17-3 on the season, and currently holds the No. 5 overall playoff seed.

Northeast Division

Connecticut side Oakwood SC leads the division with a 7-1-0 record and has possession of the No. 6 playoff seed. Oakwood boasts the most dominant defense in the Northeast, having allowed just 4 total goals in 8 regular season games. Aubrey Kulpa (11 goals) has paced Oakwood offense, which racked up 37 goals during the fall.

Fueled by the highest scoring offense in the country at the U-15 level, STA Development Academy has jumped out to a 7-1-1 start. Through just 9 games, the STA attack has racked up 51 goals, which is 14 more than the next best offense. Sophia Bradley (17 goals) and Olivia Russomanno (16 goals) have established themselves as the top scoring duo in the nation. Meanwhile, STA’s defense has conceded only 8 goals.

Southeast Division

While the NC Courage NWSL team won another championship this fall, the U-16 Academy side went unbeaten at 6-0-1 to begin the Girls DA season. The Courage hold the No. 3 playoff seed after closing the month of November with back-to-back clean sheet victories against United Futbol Academy and Tophat.

Despite recently being handed their first loss of the regular season, Atlanta area juggernaut Tophat ranks 7th in the country thanks to their season-opening 7-game winning streak. Tophat outscored opponents by a 29-4 margin in the fall, boasting the top defense in the Southeast. Goalkeeper Siani Jones and defenders Hannah Faklaris and Sophia Roma have started all 11 games on the back end for Tophat this season, including DA Cup competition.

U-16

Atlantic Division

Hopes for a potential undefeated season were dashed for The St. James FC Virginia in their final game of November, a 3-0 loss to Penn Fusion. However, FCV still holds the No. 3 overall playoff seed with a strong 7-1-1 record in regular season play. The best offense in the Atlantic has piled up 32 goals through 9 games, led by Ella Carter (9 goals) and Taylor Price (7 goals).

Another Northern Virginia squad, Arlington Soccer, remains unbeaten with a 4-0-2 record and a hold on the No. 8 playoff seed. A total of 12 players have scored at least once for Arlington’s balanced offense this season, across regular season and DA Cup competition. Defensively, they have allowed only 5 goals through 6 regular season games.

Northeast Division

South Shore Select finished the fall at the top of the Northeast table, going 4-1-1 while outscoring opponents by a 23-6 margin. U.S. Youth National Team roster pool members Sophie Reale (8 goals) and Allyson Sentnor (7 goals) highlight the potent South Shore offense. Sentnor was recently named the 2019 United Soccer Coaches Youth Girls Player of the Year.

A Massachusetts club also occupies the 2nd spot in the Northeast Division, as NEFC checks in with a 5-1-2 record, good for the 15th playoff slot. A total of 11 NEFC players have already found the net at least once this season, between regular season and DA Cup action. Emma Wennar leads the squad with 5 goals in just 3 appearances.

Southeast Division

The race for 1st place in the Southeast got a lot more interesting on the final weekend of the fall campaign, when NC Courage Academy gave Tophat their first loss of the regular season. Tophat (6-1-1) and NC Courage (5-1-1) both hold top-10 playoff seeds heading into the winter break, setting the stage for an exciting spring. Tori DellaPeruta has paced Tophat’s offense with 12 goals, while on the defensive side, Antonette Lopez and Kiera Staude have both started all 11 games between regular season and DA Cup play. On the Courage side, Baylor Goldthwaite and Lauren Martinho have spearheaded the attack with 5 goals each.

U-17

Atlantic Division

Eight games into the regular season, The St. James FC Virginia still has a zero in the loss column, finishing the fall with a 6-0-2 record and a 25-4 goal differential. Brooke Potter scored a team-high 8 goals for FCV as they’ve climbed into the No. 9 spot in the national DA standings. Goalkeeper Nadia Stupec and defenders Madeleine Walker and Marisa McClure have started all 11 games for FCV between DA Cup and regular season action.

Baltimore Armour ranks 2nd in the Atlantic, and occupies the No. 18 playoff spot at the U-17 level. At 5-2-3, Baltimore is tied with FCV for the top scoring output in the division, having outscored opponents by a 25-16 margin. Armour’s Cate Shepherd is the 3rd-highest scoring U-17 player in the country with 14 goals, while Ellie Stokes has found the net 8 times as well.

Northeast Division

Eight games into the regular season, NEFC is still perfect as they lead the Northeast Division and remain in contention for the top overall playoff seed. NEFC’s dominance was on full display in their final two games of the fall, as they outscored PA Classics and Seacoast United by a combined margin of 11-0. Brooke Haarala (12 goals) and USYNT forward Elizabeth Rappole (9 goals) have been an unstoppable duo up top for NEFC.

STA Development Academy closed the fall slate on a 7-game unbeaten streak, following their only loss of the season way back on Sept. 28. The New Jersey based side sits in the top 10 of the overall DA standings with a 7-1-1 record. Kelly Monaco’s 9 goals have paced STA’s attacking unit, as they’ve outscored opponents 24-11.

Southeast Division

Florida club Weston FC ranked 7th in the nation and 1st in the Southeast, following a 7-1-0 showing during the fall. Weston tripled their opponents’ scoring output, with a 33-11 margin. USYNT roster pool player Katherine Rader is the leading scorer in the entire country, amassing a ridiculous 26 goals this fall.

Tophat didn’t lose a single game in regular season play this fall, earning 5 wins and 2 draws. That 7-game unbeaten run puts Tophat in the No. 11 slot in the overall DA standings. With a roster loaded with USYNT talent, including defenders Carolyn Calzada and Baleigh Bruster, Tophat is in strong position to push for the league’s top playoff seed.

U-18/19

Atlantic Division

As the highest scoring team in the country, The St. James FC Virginia wreaked havoc on opponents throughout the fall. FCV piled up 46 goals while conceding only 3 on the defensive side, posting a 7-1-0 record in regular season play. USYNT forward Ellis Wheeler sparked the FCV offense with 16 goals, while Carrie McIntire found the net 11 times, and Jasmine Hamid netted 8 goals. U-18 USWNT midfielder Alexis Theoret has started every game for FCV, serving as one of the top playmakers in the nation.

Penn Fusion has control of the No. 13 playoff spot at the conclusion of the fall campaign, sitting in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division with a 5-2-0 record. Fusion posted an impressive 25-5 scoring margin in their 7 regular season games, led by defender Taylor Fasnacht (8 goals) and midfielder Catherine DeRosa (7 goals)

Northeast Division

Oakwood SC had a perfect showing in regular season action during the fall, steamrolling their way to 7 straight wins. The No. 2 ranked team in the nation posted a 26-8 scoring margin. Maddie Kiely led Oakwood’s attack with 7 goals across DA Cup and regular season play. Goalkeeper Jessica Kasacek combined with the back line to notch 2 clean sheets against division opponents.

NEFC went 4-2-0 in regular season play, outscoring their competition 27-9. The Massachusetts squad holds the No. 16 playoff seed heading into the winter break. Claire Grover leads NEFC’s offense with 8 goals on the season.

Southeast Division

It’s no surprise that Tophat is at the top of the Southeast Division table in the eldest age group as well, where they went 6-1-1 in the fall portion of the regular season schedule. Tophat has been especially dominant on the defensive side, having conceded only 4 goals through 8 games. Offensively, midfielder Dasia Torbert leads the team with 11 goals across regular season and DA Cup competition.

It’s also not surprising that NC Courage is in close contention for the top spot at the U-18/19 level, as the NWSL Academy has been strong across several age groups. The team went 5-1-1 in regular season action, outscoring opponents 24-8. One of the most loaded rosters in the country, the Courage U-18/19 back line boasts a pair of U-20 USWNT defenders, with Paige Tolentino and Elaine Rouse.