US Youth Soccer National League 2019-20 Season Preview: 15U Girls

With the 2019-2020 US Youth Soccer National League season kicking off  this month, we take a look ahead at the competition with an in-depth preview of each age group.

In this edition, find out what’s in store for the 15U Girls.

Schedule, Scores and Standings | History and Results

Following a season full of success in league and tournament action, LFA Geerling 05 (MO) looks to be among the top contenders in the 15U Girls Black Division. The Missouri side won the Black Division last season with a perfect 7-0-0 record, while also winning all of its US Youth Soccer Midwest Conference games to finish on top of the Premier I Division. That hot play continued when LFA won the US Youth Soccer Midwest Championship, but it came up just short of a clean sweep when it lost by a goal in the US Youth Soccer National Championship final. That may keep LFA motivated as it looks to repeat as Black Division winners this season.

The team that lost to LFA in the regional final, Tonka Fusion Elite (MN), will look to overtake the Missouri side in the Black Division. Tonka advanced to Nationals as the Midwest representative and came up just short of advancing to the semifinals, so it will be anxious to try and return to that stage through the National League.

Philadelphia SC Coppa 2005 (PA-E) won its division of the US Youth Soccer Mid Atlantic EDP Conference before advancing to the semifinals of the US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships. Meanwhile, Baltimore Celtic 2005 Elite (MD) is coming off a first-place finish in its division of the US Youth Soccer South Atlantic EDP Conference. Both sides will look to translate that conference success to the National League for the upcoming season.

The 15U Girls Blue Division is full of conference winners who are looking to add a first-place finish in the National League to their team resumes. Despite finishing second in its conference, Pipeline SC Pre-Academy (MD) should be a contender in the division after winning the Eastern Regional Championship and putting on a strong showing at Nationals — where it advanced to the semifinals. LA Fire 05 Red (LA) will also be looking to win the Blue Division and get back to Nationals after it advanced to Overland Park, Kan., as the Southern Regional representative in 2019.

Meanwhile, Roswell Santos 2005 Blue (GA) and Broomfield Blast SC 05 Prestige (CO) are each entering after similar seasons. Both sides finished first in their divisions of their respective conferences, and they each advanced to the quarterfinals at their Regional Championships. If they can continue that strong play in the league, both Roswell and Broomfield will be tough matchups for any opponent.

Additionally, United PDX 05 Premier (OR) won each of its games in the US Youth Soccer Northwest Conference to win its division and CUP 05 Gold (OH-S) went unbeaten while taking first place in the Premier I Division of the Great Lakes Conference. They’ll each look to continue that success in a league format when Blue Division play kicks off in North Carolina.

After finishing in first place last season, DKSC 05 Girls Black (TX-N) is heading into the 15U Girls Red Division looking to repeat as the Red Division champion. The National League triumph was just one of many successes for North Texas side, which capped its 2018-19 season by winning the National Championship in Overland Park. Prior to that, DKSC won its US Youth Soccer Frontier Conference division and then claimed the US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championship.

The Red Division foes will be some of the many teams looking to knock off DKSC this season. One of teams looking to overtake the DKSC will be 05 Lady Lobos Rush Premier (TN). The Tennessee side showed its ability in league formats by winning the US Youth Soccer Mid South Conference last season, as it went 6-0-1 and outscored opponents, 26-to-3.

SC Wave Juniors 05 Girls (WI) finished toward the top of their division in both the National League and the Midwest Conference last season. It also showed well at the Midwest Regional Championships, where it made a run to the semifinals. Early in this seasonal year, the Wisconsin side displayed some immediate progress, as it completed a 9-0-0 Midwest Conference fall season to finish atop the Premier I Division. That combination of experience in multiple competitions should make SC Wave a team to watch in the National League this season.

Behind a strong defensive effort that saw it concede just one goal, TFA Elite 05 (OH-S) won the White Division last season. The Ohio South side is back and looking to repeat that effort as it prepares to take on the rest of the 15U Girls White Division in 2019-20. TFA went 6-0-1 in the league a year ago and also finished second in the Great Lakes Conference, so it has shown an ability to successful navigate a league schedule.

Another team to watch is Snohomish United 05 Black (WA), which advanced to the 2019 National Championships by winning the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championship. After winning its opening match, 4-2, during the tournament in Boise, Idaho, Snohomish went on to record five straight shutouts to claim the regional title. A similar defensive effort will keep the Washington side in any match during the National League season.

Pateadores LA 2005 (CA-S) was among the teams Snohomish defeated en route to the Far West Regional title, as the Cal South side advanced to the semifinals with a strong showing in Boise. Pateadores also won its group in the US Youth Soccer Pacific Conference, so it has successful experiences in multiple competitions. Similarly, Nationals TriCounty 05 Girls Black (MI) followed a strong performance in the Midwest Conference by advancing to the semifinals of the Midwest Regional Championships. Both Pateadores and Nationals will aim to secure that elusive ticket to the National Championships by finishing on top of the White Division this season.

• Theresa McCullough (DKSC) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Kirsten Crane (Snohomish) – Best XI at the National Championships; Leading scorer at the Far West Regional Championships with nine goals
• Constance Johnson (LA Fire) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Madeline Schultz (Tonka Fusion) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Isabelle Thoma (Snohomish) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Livia Dunaway (DKSC) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Payton Schenning (Pipeline) – Best XI and leading scorer (three goals) at the National Championships
• Cecilia Cerone (DKSC) – Golden Glove, Best XI at the National Championships
• Leah Forget (SC Wave) – Tied for leading scorer at the Midwest Regional Championships with five goals
• Taylor Gordon (SC Wave) – Tied for leading scorer at the Midwest Regional Championships with five goals
• Caelynn January (DKSC) – Leading scorer at the Southern Regional Championships with eight goals

2019 US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional – 2005 Roster
East Region – Emerson Grafton (Beadling)
Midwest Region – Camella Luna (SC Wave), Linsey Trapino (Madision 56ers)
West Region – Jordan Candelaria (Rio Rapids), Bailey Giddings (Broomfield Blast)