93 ECNL Alums Dominate NCAA Women's Final Four
Stanford wins 2017 College Cup Filled with ECNL Alums
RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2017 NCAA Women's Soccer College Cup took place this past weekend in Orlando, FL, with four teams looking to hoist the championship trophy on December 3rd - Duke University, Stanford University, the University of South Carolina and the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).
As impressive as the journey each team made to reach the College Cup was, it was equally impressive to see 93 alums from the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) participating in the event. In the championship game alone 42 ECNL Alums were rostered, including the Pac-12 Conference Forward, Midfielder and Defensive Players of the Year.
"There are thousands of ECNL alums currently playing collegiate soccer, and to also see so many in the Division 1 College Cup speaks to the incredible quality of the development environment provided by the ECNL clubs over the past years," said Jen Winnagle, Commissioner, Elite Clubs National League. "ECNL players, teams, and clubs have raised the standards in youth soccer throughout their careers, and they will continue to raise the standard of the game for years to come as they keep developing in collegiate soccer."
Stanford University claimed the NCAA National Championship after a 3-2 victory over UCLA in the title game, with four of the five goal scorers coming from the ECNL. Kyra Carusa (San Diego Surf), Andi Sullivan (Bethesda SC), Jaye Boissiere (MVLA) and Delanie Sheehan (West Coast FC) each notched a goal in the championship match.
ECNL alum Catarina Macario (San Diego Surf) made individual history by grabbing three assists in the championship match and becoming the all-time single season assist leader for Stanford. Macario was named ESPNW soccer player of the year just last week, adding to a list of accolades in her freshman campaign.
The "ECNL player" has become an integral part of collegiate soccer. With over 4,000 alums currently playing Division I collegiate soccer, 1,140 in the Power 5 alone, and 41 individual awards earned during the 2017 season, the ECNL continues to identify and develop the top women's players in the country.
To learn more about the ECNL College Impact on each program that advanced to the Women's College Cup, CLICK HERE.
About Elite Clubs National League: The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.
eliteclubsnationalleague.com | Facebook: /theECNL | Twitter: @theECNL
CONTACT: Jennifer Winnagle, 1-703-304-5723, [email protected]
SOURCE Elite Clubs National League
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