SAN DIEGO, Calif. | Eight teams have earned spots in next week’s ENPL National Finals, and three more have won Boys Western NPL Finals championships after topping their respective fields in the ENPL Western Playoffs and Boys Western NPL Finals, held June 29-July 3 at Surf Cup Sports Park.

This is the inaugural season of the Elite National Premier League (ENPL). The postseason pathway stems from a collaboration between US Club Soccer and the ECNL to elevate the youth soccer landscape among 14-U through 19-U boys age groups. Sixteen qualifying competitions – made up of NPLs and Boys ECNL Conferences – throughout the country are focused on winning their regular season competitions and advancing to the ENPL postseason, where national championships are awarded.

“It’s the first year that we’ve done this format to bring together the top teams from NPL leagues and ECNL conferences across the country, so it’s a league-based platform, instead of cup-based,” said Kevin Payne, US Club Soccer CEO/Executive Director. “We have a lot of teams that don’t ordinarily see each other, who don’t generally play against each other. They’ve all played full seasons, and they’ve all trained together as teams a minimum of three times a week. So, this is a high level of play, and these teams are treating it that way.”

Boys Western ENPL Playoffs (14-U through 17-U):

As the first stage of playoff competition for the ENPL National Finals, the inaugural ENPL Western Playoffs did not produce a champion, but instead saw the top two finishers of those 14-U through 17-U age groups clinch a spot in the ENPL National Finals, July 13-14 in Aurora, Colo. At the ENPL National Finals, 16 total teams (eight from San Diego and eight from the ENPL Eastern Playoffs in Lancaster, Massachusetts) will compete for ENPL national championships.

The complete alphabetical list of qualified teams to the ENPL National Finals in Colorado is as follows, with ENPL Western Playoffs qualifiers highlighted with asterisks:

• 14-U division
• GPS Florida West (Florida NPL)
• Phoenix Rising FC (Boys ECNL Southwest Conference)*
• TSC Hurricane (Boys ECNL Texas Conference)*
• Valeo FC (NEP – NPL Division)

• 15-U division

• • Napa Soccer Academy (NorCal NPL)*
  • Phoenix Rising FC (Boys ECNL Southwest Conference)*
  • SAC Showcase Premier (EDP – NPL Division)
  • Tennessee SC (Boys ECNL Southeast Conference)

• 16-U division

• • GPS MA Elite (NEP – NPL Division)
  • Penn Fusion SA (Boys ECNL Northeast Conference)
  • San Diego Surf (NPL West)*
  • Texans Houston (USC – NPL Division)*

• 17-U division

• • Brentwood SC (NYCSL – NPL Division)
  • Classics Elite (Boys ECNL Texas Conference)*
  • Slammers FC (Boys ECNL Southwest Conference)*
  • Tampa Bay United (Boys ECNL Southeast Conference)

The ENPL Western Playoffs was an optimal tournament for college coaches to scout for potential additions to their programs. College coaches peppered the sidelines at Surf Cup Sports Park, particularly for games in the older age groups.

Boys NPL Finals (15-U through 17-U):

After the ENPL, the next tier of competition in San Diego was the Boys Western NPL Finals for 15-U through 17-U age groups. The complete alphabetical list of 2018 Boys NPL Finals champions is as follows, including the winners from the corresponding Boys Eastern NPL Finals in Lancaster:

• 15-U Boys Eastern NPL Finals champion: Match Fit Academy FC (N.J.; Boys ECNL Northeast Conference)
• 15-U Boys Western NPL Finals champion: Lou Fusz SC (Mo.; Central States NPL)
• 16-U Boys Eastern NPL Finals champion: Delaware FC (Del.; EDP-NPL Division)
• 16-U Boys Western NPL Finals champion: Apple Valley SC Storm Academy (Calif.; Southern California NPL)
• 17-U Boys Eastern NPL Finals champion: Alabama FC (Ala.; Boys ECNL Southeast Conference)
• 17-U Boys Western NPL Finals champion: FC Wisconsin (Wis.; Boys ECNL Midwest Conference)
• 19-U Boys NPL Finals champion: Lou Fusz SC (Mo.; Central States NPL)

There is no advancement for these winners beyond these respective Eastern or Western NPL Finals.