Wire-to-wire action featured in ECNL Boys Regional League Selection Game in Virginia

On Friday night, the first ECNL Regional League Selection Game of the season took place at River City Sportsplex in Midlothian, Virginia. Some of the brightest stars from the ECNL Regional League were in action and showcasing their abilities. (View Rosters)

The East jumped out in front early on Friday as Daniel Barraza (Legends FC) got on the other end of a ball played into the box and tapped it home with a sliding finish to put the East up 1-0.

“The ball was played early and I just tried to get to the back post and was able to tap it in,” Barraza said.

A few minutes later the East doubled their lead in the 23rd minute with Barraza striking again with a left footed finish.

“My teammate found me in space, I took a touch, and I hit it in the bottom right corner,” Barraza said.

The East added on their third goal of the night in the 29th minute, as Josh Bryant (SOCA) got on the end of a corner kick and neatly finished it to put the East up 3-0.

The West fought their way back into the game in the second half though. Following some great passing, the West’s Kyle Ganley (Maryland United) fired home a shot from inside the box in the 61st minute to trim the lead down to two.

In the 76th minute the West got another one back, this time from the penalty spot. After a foul inside the box, Jacob Nielsen (Match Fit Academy) stepped up and fired home the penalty to cut the lead all the way down to 3-2.

Despite the fight back though and a great push in the final 15 minutes of the game, the East were able to hold on the rest of the way and come away with the 3-2 victory.

Following his two goals, Barraza was named the Man of the Match.

“It was super fun to be a part of it,” Barraza said after the game. “The competition was pretty challenging. Overall, it was a good experience.”

Congratulations to all the athletes suiting up for the @continentaltire ECNL Regional League Selection Game in Virginia ? #ECNLRLVA pic.twitter.com/XxMaeJOm6I

— ECNL Boys (@ECNLboys) November 17, 2023

Barraza said that while the atmosphere and crowd took a minute to get used to, the energy the fans brought helped motivate him to put in a great performance.

“At first it was nerve racking, but after a while I got used to it,” Barraza said. “The atmosphere was really good and it motivated me.”

Jackson Woolard (Richmond Strikers), who helped anchor the East defense, credited everyone on the team for being very welcoming before the game, and believes that was a key reason why the East was able to build chemistry so quickly.

“Everyone was very welcoming from the start,” Woolard said. “I think that really helped build our chemistry in such a short time.”

Woolard said that while he was focused on the game, he also made sure to take a moment to recognize how special the opportunity was for him, noting that it’s a unique experience that you do not get the chance to have very often.

“I really enjoyed the atmosphere with everybody coming out here,” Woolard said. “It’s something different and not something you get to experience every day.”