US Youth Soccer National League 2019-20 Season Preview: 16U 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 16U Girls.

Schedule, Scores and Standings | History and Results

A few months removed from working its way to the US Youth Soccer National Championship final, FC Revolution Dynamo (PA-E) is looking to make some noise in the 16U Girls Black Division. FC Revolution won the US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championship to advance to Nationals, where it overcame a close opening day loss to bounce back and finish as the National runner-up.

If FC Revolution is going to win the Black Division, it will need to get past defending group winner Utah Celtic 2004 (UT). Celtic went unbeaten to win the Black Division last season, and followed that up by winning the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championship. The Utah side came up short at Nationals, but should have a chance to get back to that stage by contending for another National League division title.

Beadling 2004G Showcase (PA-W) and SLSG 2004 Elite (MO) will also be teams to watch after each side advanced to the semifinals of the US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional Championships. Beadling qualified for Regionals by winning the US Youth Soccer Great Lakes Conference Premier I Division, while SLSG finished second in the US Youth Soccer Midwest Conference Premier I Division. Another team with success in league formats is Sunrise Prime FC 2004 X1 (FL), which put in dominant performances while winning the US Youth Soccer Sunshine Conference before making a run to the quarterfinals at the US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Championships.

Several 16U Girls Blue Division teams are coming off strong seasons, including last year’s Blue Division winner — LVSA 04 National League (NV). In addition to a National League title, LVSA won each of its games while taking first place in the US Youth Soccer Desert Conference. The Nevada side came up short in the semifinals at Nationals, so it should be anxious to try and earn its way back via the National League.

Defending Midwest Regional Champions Sporting St. Louis Red Devils (MO) will be another team to watch in the Blue Division. St. Louis had a mid-table finish in the National League last season, but was in peak form in the summer — picking up four shutouts in Saginaw, Mich., to claim the Midwest Regional Championship. Meanwhile, at the Southern Regional Championship, CFC Red Star 04 Elite (GA)advanced to the final — leaving it motivated after coming one win away from a berth to Nationals.

A few other Blue Division sides made runs into the knockout rounds at their respective Regional Championships following successful campaigns in conference play. Pipeline SC 04 Pre-Academy (MD) picked up five wins and a draw while winning the Club vs. Club Division of the US Youth Soccer South Atlantic EDP Conference. Tennessee SC 04 Showcase (TN) went 7-1-1 while winning the US Youth Soccer Mid South Conference, and Legends FC East Riverside G04 (CA-S) won its division of the US Youth Soccer Pacific Conference. With that experience in league formats, each of those teams will be ready for the Blue Division competition.

PSC Coppa Swarm 04 (PA-E) is coming off a season with strong showings in several competitions and will look to replicate that success in the 16U Girls Red Division. The Eastern PA side claimed the Red Division title last year by outscoring its opponents, 13-to-3, and it won the Club vs. Club Division of the US Youth Soccer Mid Atlantic EDP Conference by going 8-0-1. With proven ability in league formats, PSC could have another strong showing in the National League this season.

GA Rush 04 (GA) narrowly missed out on winning its National League division a year ago, but it did take first place in the US Youth Soccer Piedmont Conference with an 11-0-0 record. GA Rush followed that by winning the Southern Regional Championship — proving it will be a team to watch in the Red Division.

A very tight race in the South Atlantic EDP Conference Premier I Division saw Baltimore Union SC Elite 04 (MD) come out on top with a 5-1-3 record. Having experience picking up key points in tight league standings should help Baltimore as it heads into the National League season. Solar 04 Rundell (TX-N) came out on top of a tight race of its own in the US Youth Soccer Frontier Conference, so it will also be a side to watch in the Red Division this year.

As the defending National Champion, SC Wave Juniors 04 Girls Blue (WI) will be a team that the rest of the 16U Girls White Division will be aiming for this season. The Wisconsin side won the White Division last year, and it added a first-place finish in the Midwest Conference Premier I Division to its conquests in league play. SC Wave carried that momentum into the summer, when it capped the season by claiming the National title. It will now look to hold off challengers in the White Division as a new National League season kicks off.

One of the teams looking to challenge SC Wave will be SDA Utica 04 Blasters (NY-E). In a close race in the US Youth Soccer North Atlantic EDP Conference Premier I Division, SDA won seven of its eight games to come away with a one-point advantage to lead the standings. That experience in a league format could prove beneficial for SDA as it takes on White Division foes.

After narrowly missing out on first place in the Mid Atlantic EDP Conference Premier I Division on a tiebreaker, Match Fit Academy FC 2004 USYS (NJ) bounced back to make a deep run at the Eastern Regional Championships. The New Jersey side advanced to the regional final, coming one win away from advancing to Nationals. Similarly to FC Dallas 04G Blue (TX-N), a Southern Regional semifinalist, Match Fit will be looking to punch its ticket to Nationals via the National League after coming close to a berth this past summer.

• Kayla Budish (SC Wave) – Golden Ball, Best XI and leading scorer (nine goals) at the National Championships
• Jordynn Dudley (GA Rush) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Taylor Mentzer (FC Revolution) – Best XI at the National Championships; Leading scorer at the Eastern Regional Championships with six goals
• Brooke Kittner (Sporting St. Louis) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Elena Zuchowski (SC Wave) – Best XI at the National Championships
• Lilly Hanke (SC Wave) – Golden Glove, Best XI at the National Championships
• Zoe Hevey (SC Wave) – Leading scorer at the Midwest Regional Championships with five goals
• Dylan Driver (CFC Redstar) – Leading scorer at the Southern Regional Championships with 10 goals

2019 US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional – 2004 Roster
East Region – Charli Grafton, Hailey Longwell, Morgan Sarver (Beadling); Olivia Lindsay, Madison Luke, Mary Muller (SDA Utica)
South Region – Lena Dykes (CFC Redstar)

2019 US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional – 2005 Roster
South Region – Kathleen Collins (TN United)