See All Northeast Region Top 20 Rankings - Boys | Girls

Some goals are unavoidable. A striker makes a perfect shot; an attacking team produces a precise combination … an earthquake forces the ball in net – hey, stuff happens.

Goalkeeper Connor Jacobson doesn’t subscribe to such thinking. In his mind, a goal can always be prevented.

“My philosophy in goal is that the best keepers can prevent any goal with the right preparation, so I focus on every detail of organization and positioning,” Jacobson said. “I have always had physical size on my side, so I like to utilize this strength and make myself big and cover as much space as possible in net. However, I would say my greatest attribute is my ability to organize and communicate well with my defense.”

Jacobson’s U17 South Central Academy squad would likely agree – and so do we. It’s one of the reason we have Jacobson as the No. 3 player in our Northeast Region for 2011s.

He’s got great size, and as you can probably tell, a great outlook on his role for his team. Heading to Syracuse in the fall, Jacobson will first try to lift his South Central squad to a new plateau.

“We are looking to make the playoffs and compete for the top spot of our division,” he said. “I hope to make a strong impact on the field so I can help my team reach all of its goals. The season looks very promising.”

Leading the 2011 Northeast Top 20 list is central midfielder Jimmy Petruccelli of Seacoast United, who is on his way to Providence. Other leaders in the region include: Devin Devoy (2012), Diego Fagundez (2013), Declan McCabe, Amadu Kunateh (2015).

On the girls’ side: Samantha Mewis (2011), Mikayla Williams (2012), Morgan Andrews (2013), Shea Newman (2014) and Gabriella Carreiro (2015) head their age groups.

See All Northeast Region Top 20 Rankings - Boys | Girls