Players That Impressed: ECNL Boys National Finals 2024

The 2023-24 ECNL Boys season recently finished up play with the culmination of the National Finals in Richmond, VA. (Event Recap)

Forty teams competed across the league’s U13-U17 age groups for top honors, in front of hundreds of college coaches. (Scout List)

Below are some of the top players from the weekend’s event sorted by graduation year. You can also nominate a player who stood out during the event through the following link.

2027

Austin Roberts | Midfielder
Pipeline SC 09 (MD)

Remained calm and composed in leading Pipeline in consecutive one goal victories over San Diego Surf (2-1) and Rockford Raptors (3-2) to keep their title defense going. Roberts has a knack for knowing when to hit a teammate with a pass and when to lay off to give them more time to get open. He also has a strong sense of how to make the perfect moves off of the ball to create the best goal-scoring opportunities.

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Tripp Johnson | Midfielder
South Carolina Surf 09 (SC)

Assisted on Liam Beasley‘s match-winner in overtime, playing a pacey pass into the forward to bury into the back of the net. In addition to his work on the attacking end, Johnson was effective at managing the pace of the match using his spatial awareness to maintain possession. Alongside Briggs Gwodzo (who unleashed a 40 yard bomb in the first half), Surf held their own against the reigning National Champions Pipeline SC earning a 2-1 victory.

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Aaron Jimenez | Forward
Rockford Raptors 09 (IL)

Provided a consistent attacking spark up top for Rockford, involving himself in eight of the Raptors’ twelve goals in their playoff run. Jimenez has a nose for goal and always seems able to give himself enough space in between defenders to inflict major damage. He will be joining Chicago Fire’s Academy in the fall.

2026

Gavin Flickinger | Forward-Midfielder
Heat FC 07 (NV)

Buried a brace against the Dallas Texans Academy in the Quarterfinals to push Heat into penalties and ultimately the victory in penalties. Flickinger works seamlessly alongside Chase Stewart to form a potent 1-2 combination up top for Heat. Although they fell short against the San Diego Surf, the Heat have the experience and attacking prowess to have another crack at the title next year.

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Ethan Summers | Midfielder
Northern Virginia Alliance 08 (VA)

Colly slotted home the game-winning penalty kick goal to push NVA past the defending National Champions Crossfire Premier and into the Final Four. He continued to stir NVA’s attack through the midfield, leading the team to a 3-0 victory over FL Premier FC.

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Ryan Ghajar | Forward-Midfielder
LAFC So Cal 08 (CA)

Belted a brace against Mustang SC (4-1) in the Quarterfinals to help set up LAFC’s Championship run. Whether creating chances for his teammates or himself, Ghajar is an explosive attacker that never wastes a touch or a movement. He is also more than willing to pitch in on the defense, using his speed to impede the progress of opponents through the center of the pitch. Earned Man of the Match honors for LAFC So Cal’s 3-0 victory over the Northern Virginia Alliance in the finals.

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Jake Basinet | Forward
San Diego Surf 07 (CA)

Led Surf to their second consecutive National Championship with a hat trick earning Player of the Match honors in their 4-1 victory over Heat FC. Last year’s U15 Player of the Year makes life miserable for defenders using his crisp ball control and precision striking to open up play for Surf. With either foot he has continued to be a difference-maker for Surf and one of the top strikers in the ECNL.

2025

Gabriel Flores | Goalkeeper
Heat FC 07 (NV)

Pulled off three strong saves in penalties to lift Heat past the Dallas Texans Academy in the Elite Eight. He followed it up with an equally impressive effort, knocking off Louisville City Academy 4-2 in the Semifinals. Flores has a booming right foot that he can use to change the field of play and give his defense time to regroup. He is also more than comfortable at playing the ball out of the back and has strong situational awareness which allows him to make smart decisions in crunch time.

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Crew Hartlage | Goalkeeper
Louisville City Academy 07 (KY)

Blanked FL Premier FC 1-0 to clinch a spot in the Final Four of the 2007 bracket, making multiple key saves down the stretch to preserve the result. After making a save, Hartlage can quickly read where the gaps are in opponent’s alignments and deliver precise service to open teammates down the field. Although they came up short against a high-scoring Heat FC group (4-2) Louisville had a strong run throughout the playoffs, earning three shutouts.

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Chance Anderson | Center Back
Dallas Texans Academy 07 (TX)

Finished off the 2023-2024 campaign for the Texans with a solid defensive effort against Florida Premier FC, limiting their talented attacking corps to just one goal in the 4-1 victory. Anderson is an asset both on the ground and in the air for the Texans and knows how to frame his passes so that Dallas can continue to retain possession. The two-time ECNL All-Conference First Team member remains calm and poised under pressure and provides Dallas with stability as they build out of the back.

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Adam Ambrus-Aikelin | Midfielder
San Diego Surf 07 (CA)

Added a goal and an assist to go alongside Basinet’s hat trick to earn Surf their second consecutive National Championship. Adam has excellent field awareness and can time his diagonal passes perfectly so that they connect with teammates surging through the defense.