Today we unveil our latest update to Grande Sports Academy TeamRank, the comprehensive ranking system for elite club soccer teams nationwide, and we release the latest standings for U16, U17 and U18 Girls. Next week, we will update the younger age groups on the Boys side. We will update our National Top 25 of each age group at least once per month.

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A light schedule in the ECNL has allowed for subtle changes to the rankings for this update. The ECNL is still ramping back into action after a winter break of sorts. Key matchups are noted below.

Top ten adjustments at U16

Crossfire continues its climb up the rankings, landing at No. 3 after amassing a 4-0-1 record since our last update. Crossfire remains undefeated, its biggest win coming in January against cross-conference rival Santa Rosa United. Santa Rosa United was undefeated before its meeting with Crossfire, and climbs to No. 4 this month despite the loss, partly due to a big win in February against No. 1 Real Colorado. SRU’s Taylor Ziemer, a Virginia recruit and IMG Academy 150 standout, scored the lone goal in the effort at the Texas ECNL showcase.

FC Virginia had a stellar month as well, dominating its opponents in the Mid Atlantic conference’s Chesapeake division and earning a draw against No. 9 Michigan Hawks at the Texas showcase. No. 7 FCV’s offensive output is second only to No. 1 Real Colorado, thanks to the prolific scoring of freshman Emily Fox, who has 18 goals on the season, and was named a standout by our staff at the recent ODP Championships in Phoenix.

Untouchable Sting at U17

No. 1 Dallas Sting buzzed through its opponents at the Texas showcase and in league play in the month of February, scoring 20 times in four matches played, six of those tallies coming from forward Mimi Asom, who now has 14 on the season. Even No. 6 Michigan Hawks, who handed No. 4 GSA its second loss of the season at the event, couldn’t handle Sting’s offensive push, so the question for the remainder of the conference season will be can anyone silence the Sting’s buzz?

Tight Race in Texas at U18

It’s a tight race in Texas between No. 8 Lonestar, No. 18 Challenge and No. 14 D’Feeters. All three teams have eight wins in conference play, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will finish the season as the top seed for the post season. D’Feeters seems to have the edge at the moment with only two conference losses and the seemingly easier remaining schedule, but these teams are so close that even a slight case of senioritis could make all the difference.

No. 21 Concorde Fire and No. 22 Charlotte SA edge up the Grande Sports Academy TeamRank Top 25 after finishing the conference portion of the season as the top two seeds. It’s on to the final high school season now for both of these squads before they reconvene for postseason play in June. 

Next Thursday: U13, U14, and U15 Boys

Grande Sports Academy TeamRank is the comprehensive team-ranking system devised by TopDrawerSoccer.com to provide an objective and common-sense approach to determining which elite youth soccer teams are the best in the nation.

The rankings, updated monthly, are primarily results-based, with a nod toward the league and championship competitions that emulate how excellence is determined in leading soccer nations around the world.

Tournaments are also included but at a reduced value due to the many mitigating factors involving such events, including attrition and guest players.

A final layer of executive evaluation is provided to account for variables that often impact results, thus ensuring that the monthly lists are not subjective, but are not purely mechanical.