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Led by a stingy defense and a ruthless forward in Ayva Jordan, Slammers HB Koge defeated Penn Fusion to lift the U19 ECNL Girls national trophy. The Tennessee commit scored on either side of halftime in the 2-0 win.

Heading into the matchup, the story was whether the potent Penn Fusion attack would prevail over the formidable Slammers backline. The East Coast squad led the competition with nine goals through three matches, while the California-based club boasted the best defense with just one conceded in the runup.

The opening moments of the match saw Penn Fusion create opportunities through their possession-based set-up, while Slammers looked to capitalize on the transition. That culminated in an early chance where Addison Etter did well to save a one-on-one shot from Jordan set up by a brilliant Viviana Zacarias pass.

That transition dynamic created the opening goal as Kai Tsakiris found the ball on the counter and dribbled past two defenders to earn a penalty kick in the dying minutes of the half. Under immense pressure, Jordan converted her attempt to take a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute.

If there was any confusion on whether the lead was deserved, Jordan quickly put that to bed with a goal just 25 seconds into the second half. Once again, the opportunity came from the transition as the nationally ranked forward won a loose ball and unleashed a long-range left-footed rocket that gave the goalkeeper no chance.

From that point, it felt like the match was over, considering how impenetrable the Slammers' backline had looked all tournament. Still, Penn did well to create a few chances, particularly Keira Kemmerley, who came closest on a long-range scorcher that forced a world-class save from Jordan Perry in the 86th minute. Another avenue to attack was Nina Cantor on the left wing, but Slammers' right back Cassidy Doogan, who could have been the player of the match, put on a masterclass in 1-v-1 defending and positioning to shut down the dynamic front line.

Along with Doogan and Perry, the center back duo of Milee Zych and Ava Paolini, plus Elle Kivo at left back, earned an impressive shutout as the first team to keep Penn Fusion off the scoreboard this season, while simultaneously ending a 17-game winning streak.

Both sets of players will now close the chapter on their youth soccer careers, stepping into the next level as some of the most exciting freshmen in the upcoming college soccer season.

Player of the Match: Ayva Jordan, Slammers HB Koge

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