Saturday marks the start of the fourth ECNL National Showcase Event of the season in San Diego, California. 

 

And just like the previous gatherings of the top clubs across the country, the competition is expected to be spirited and lively.

 

“It’s obviously going to be very tough,” FC Stars of Massachusetts U18 head coach Jason Dewhurst told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “I think every one of our games across the age groups is against West Coast teams. It’s always difficult going to the West Coast, especially when it’s on their turf.”

 

The long flight out to California combined with the home-field advantage that some of the Southern California teams enjoy makes it a daunting task for the East Coast visitors to pick up some points at the event. 

 

“We expect every game to be very close, tightly contested,” Dewhurst added. “But we’re really looking forward to it. It’s been a long winter for us and we’re looking forward to getting out there.”

Other coaches agreed about the competitiveness of the games especially among the top flight teams. 

 

“There are no easy games in the top flight of the ECNL,” Bethesda U16 head coach Dave Nolan told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “If we don’t play well, we could be in for a long weekend. But when my team is ready, they can play with anybody.”

 

 

On Saturday, the FC Bucks face Washington Premier in a showdown between two undefeated Flight B teams. Premier is eighth, while FC Bucks is ninth in the standings, as both teams look to push to the top of the table during the final stretch of the season. Washington Premier is led by center back Jessica Udovich. FC Bucks defender Leigh Ann Bertolet leads the team offensively with two goals and two assists this season. 

 

So Cal Blues take on Northern California powerhouse Mustang SC on Sunday. The Blues are fifth in Flight A with a 6-1-1 record, but Mustang will be looking to put a dent in that mark, as Mike Descombraz’s squad pushes toward a playoff spot. Mustang will have to slow down Anika Rodriguez who has eight goals and five assists on the season. 

 

To cap the event, Colorado Rush takes on local club San Diego Surf in a fixture between top Flight A teams. Rush leads the nation with a perfect 5-0-0 record. Surf is tenth in the standings with a 5-1-2 record. The Colorado club is led by the attacking twosome of Jordan DiBiasi and Jastin Redman who have combined for 24 goals in 15 games this season.  

 

 

CrossFire Premier and PDA U16 meet on Saturday in a matchup between two teams on the bubble of a playoff spot in the Flight A Standings. CrossFire’s Calisse Crissler leads the team in scoring this season with two goals and two assists. 

 

On Sunday, Albertson Fury takes on the top team in Flight A, Slammers FC. The Slammers will be looking to overcome the absence of Kayla Mills. The forward is scheduled to join the U17 Women’s National Team camp that day in Chula Vista.  

 

West Coast FC takes on Albertson Soccer Club to cap the event in San Diego. The New York club is currently seventh in the National Flight A Standings, but faces a big challenge against last season’s third place team. 

 

 

Mustang SC is currently second in the National Flight A Standings, but could take over the top spot with a perfect nine-point weekend at the Showcase Event. The quest starts on Saturday with a game against Freestate Soccer Alliance (Maryland). Mustang will need to slow down Allison Cislo, who has five goals and two assists this season. 

 

The Northern California is not the only one trying to drop Eclipse Select (Illinois) from the top spot. Scorpions SC (Massachusetts) is also looking to close the gap on the top two sides over the three-game event. Boston College commit McKenzie Meehan leads the team in scoring with five goals and two assists.

 

Scorpions will face a challenging task on Monday when they face the runner-ups from last season in Real So Cal. Kristi Walker’s squad is 6-3-1 in conference play and brings a seven-game winning streak into the clash. 

 

 

This weekend offers a rematch from last season’s U17 ECNL National Championship. San Diego Surf beat PDA 1-0 in that meeting, but this season has not been as kind to either team. Both find themselves on the outside looking in on the playoff race, and need a strong showing this weekend to get back in the mix. 

 

The rematch happens on Sunday among a couple of other notable games including Colorado Rush against Slammers FC, and Arsenal FC versus CrossFire Premier.