In case you couldn’t make the trip yourself, here’s a look back at some of the top moments and performances from this past ECNL Las Vegas College Showcase.

Best team: The caveat should probably be “best team we witnessed” during the three-day tournament, as this isn’t necessarily a measure of sustaining power but of form over the duration of this particular event.

The U17 Arsenal FC certainly stood out amongst the pack. Edging teams like Santa Clarita United and Bethesda SC Dragons within their bracket, the Arsenal will be dangerous in the weeks to come while they gel together having just returned from the high school season. Alexis Weaver, Autumn Altamirano, Labonta Lo’eau and Jennifer Gonzalez are just a few of the pieces that make the Arsenal puzzle so complete.

Best player: U15 Slammers FC Mayra Almazan. This young attacker has that special quality that is hard to articulate but you know “it” when you see it. She is a great left-footed player who has the ability to score goals or make plays with her vision and anticipatory skills. She’ll be one to watch.

Most dubious play: If you haven’t seen it, here it is. Ashlynn Harryman of the U15 Slammers FC fired what appeared to be a goal into the upper right slot and after the ball ricocheted back into the opposing goalkeeper’s hands, play went on without even a thought from the referee to signal a goal. As coach Ziad Khoury attested, the play defied physics.     

Blown Away: It’s becoming a staple of the ECNL event and its Vegas location. What do you get when you mix desert with exposed soccer fields – lots of wind. Day 2 of the event was affected beyond measure as teams tried to – excuse the pun –  ‘weather’ the elements. 

Congrats: A couple notable ECNL bracket winners included: U16 Eastside FC 93 Red (Washington), and the home U15 Las Vegas Premier White.

Other Observations

Some of the standouts from Sunday’s final day of play included U15 So Cal Blues forward Shea Hoover, U17 Sparta United 93 Premier players Savannah Gam and Jade Tarver and Hana Dempsey, of U15 Thusc Ireland.

Hoover showed off her athleticism in a match with New Mexico club AUFC 95 Fusion. She has good height and is quick to the ball. Gam was noticeable for her touch around the box and service ability while Tarver is impossible not to pick out on the field. She has great size and advances the ball with power.

As for Dempsey, she has great feet and a knack for getting rid of the ball when she has it. She was fun to watch. 
 

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