U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy East Conference Recap: Sept. 14-15, 2019

The second weekend of the 2019-2020 U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy season took place September 14-15, for clubs across the East Conference.

Continue reading for a look back on a few of the top performances by teams across the U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-18/19 age groups.

U-15

The St. James FC Virginia improved to 3-0-0 on the young season with a perfect weekend on the road, earning a 3-0 win over SJEB Rush and 4-3 win against Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth. Viviana Pope led the attack with 4 goals over the course of the weekend. Goalkeepers Alexis Radvanyi and Teagan Gardner combined with the TSJ FCV back line for the clean sheet on Saturday against SJEB Rush.

PA Classics gained some early ground in the Atlantic Division with a 7-2 rout of Long Island SC, fueled by a hat trick from Carly Keene and a first half brace from Brittany Laird. 

Penn Fusion Soccer Academy notched their first win of the new season, a lopsided 4-1 result against Baltimore Armour. Olivia Bradley led the Fusion offense with a brace at home. 

In the Northeast Division, STA Development Academy remains unbeaten at 2-0-1 after a win and a draw over the weekend. Following a 1-1 draw against South Shore Select on Saturday, STA stormed past NEFC by a 6-1 margin on Sunday. Olivia Russomanno sparked STA’s attack with a hat trick, and Chiara Cosenza notched a brace. 

Tophat Soccer Club made a big statement in the Southeast Division, picking up 7-1 and 2-0 victories on the road against West Florida Flames and IMG Academy. Jasmine Raines, Sophia Roma and Anna Weir netted 2 goals each over the course of the weekend. Goalkeeper Siani Jones played all 160 minutes in net, conceding 1 total goal behind Tophat’s strong back line.

U-16

Five different players found the net for The St. James FC Virginia in their 7-0 drubbing of SJEB Rush on Saturday. TSJ FCV remains unbeaten through three games this season, after securing a 1-1 draw against Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth on Sunday. Kathryn Cassidy and Madison Moon led the offense with 2 goals each on the weekend. 

Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth had an unbeaten weekend as well, picking up a 2-0 win over Metro United on Saturday. Goalkeepers Brianna Di Landro and Renee Wells split time between the posts, while defenders Jordyn Gavini and Tiffany Brickle went the full 90 minutes during Cedar Stars’ clean sheet performance against Metro United. 

Baltimore Armour holds a share of first place in the Atlantic Division at 2-0-0, after coming from behind to defeat Penn Fusion 2-1 on Saturday afternoon. Fusion took a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute, but Armour’s Hannah Jibril scored an equalizer late in the first half, and she opened the second half by netting the game-winner in the 46th minute. 

South Shore Select continued their roaring start to the season, staying perfect through 3 games by picking up a 6-1 win over STA Development Academy. Sophie Reale recorded a hat trick, and Mckenna Sylvester added a brace in the blowout. 

United Futbol Academy was off to the races on Sunday in their dominant 9-0 win over West Florida Flames. Ines Obradovac posted a hat trick, while Cuyler Zulauf and Elizabeth Dean each recorded a brace. 

U-17

The St. James FC Virginia outscored SJEB Rush and Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth by a combined margin of 8-1 on the road, kicking off the new season in resounding fashion. Brooke Potter and Ashley Rauch paced the attack with 2 goals each on the weekend. Defenders Marisa McClure, Emily Pendleton and Madeleine Walker each played the full 90 minutes during TSJ FCV’s 4-0 clean sheet win over Cedar Stars on Sunday. 

NEFC pushed their season-opening win streak to 4 as they handled business at home against Seacoast United (4-0) and STA Development Academy (6-2). Elizabeth Rappole scored 4 goals, while Brooke Haarala and Sarah Flanagan netted 2 goals each over the weekend. 

U-18/19

Six different players scored for Penn Fusion Soccer Academy’s dangerous offense in an 8-0 rout of Baltimore Armour at United Sports Training Center in Eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday morning. Goalkeeper Anna Maria Thomas combined with Fusion’s back line to earn their second straight clean sheet to open the season. Defenders Lauren Elwell, Taylor Fasnacht and Emma Misal each played the full 90 minutes during the shutout effort against Baltimore. 

The St. James FC Virginia overpowered SJEB Rush 10-0 in their season opener, as Ellis Wheeler and Carrie McIntire netted 4 goals each, and Jasmine Hamid notched a brace.

Northeast Division powerhouse NEFC downed STA Development Academy 8-0, behind a 4-goal performance from Zoie Allen, and a hat trick from Lily Matthews. 

Tophat pushed their record to 3-0-0, winning back-to-back road games this weekend against West Florida Flames and IMG Academy. Jordan Hall, Madeline Simpson and Dasia Torbert highlighted the Tophat attack, each recording braces during Saturday’s 6-0 victory over West Florida. Tophat defenders Sam Cohn, Hallie Meadows and Eva Wirtz each played the full 90 minutes, helping goalkeeper Eva Nahas preserve the clean sheet.