While weather in the Mid-Atlantic States forced a few cancellations over the last weekend in the ECNL, action was once again fast and furious as teams continued battling for national finals spots.

Here’s a look at some of the highlights from around the ECNL:

 

U15

Staying close to home, Penn Fusion split a pair of games. After picking up a 2-1 win over Scorpions SC, the Fusion came up short against FC Stars of Massachusetts by an identical 2-1 score line. FC Stars’ goals came from Tamar Bulka and Alexis Elworthy, while Bryce Watts scored the consolation for the Fusion.

PDA won its first game 3-0 against World Class FC, and the other game of the weekend against Bethesda SC was rained out due to storms hitting the Washington, D.C. metro region on Sunday. Jenny Haskel, Elizabeth Kinkler and Alyssa Cronin all scored in the Saturday victory. 

“We scored the three goals in the second half,” PDA head coach William Bustamante told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “I thought we played very well in the second half, but the first half we were a little bit sluggish.”

After battling through a tough stretch of injuries, Freestate Soccer Alliance continued to build momentum in April with a pair of wins. Sophia Centi and Taylor Love grabbed a goal in a 2-0 win over SoccerPlus Connecticut, and Karen Aye and Mary Ann Pritts scored to secure a 2-1 victory against Connecticut FC.

 

U16

Pilar Torres scored a pair of goals for the San Diego Surf in its 3-1 win over Arsenal FC on Sunday. Arsenal, which sits at the bottom of the SoCal Conference and is winless in conference play, also lost 2-1 to Real So Cal.

Also winning both games on the weekend out were the So Cal Blues over a pair of Northwest clubs. Indigo Gibson and Kassidy Gorman tallied in a 2-1 defeat of Washington Premier, while a Nicole Faris brace led the way to a 4-0 shutout of Crossfire Premier on Sunday.

Traveling south for the weekend, it was a productive, six-point swing for Connecticut FC. After sneaking past FC Delco 1-0, Connecticut got the better of a very dangerous Freestate SA team 3-2.

 

U17

It was another massive weekend for Scorpions SC, winning two more games by hefty margins. After drubbing Penn Fusion 7-1, Scorpions blanked FC Bucks 5-0. McKenzie Meehan’s five goals across both games set the pace, while Madison Damm, Lauren Berman and Courtney Maguire were also amongst the scorers.

It’s been an up-and-down year for Freestate Soccer Alliance, but over the weekend the club won both games for the first time in 2012. Lindsey Lane was one of the standouts from the weekend, scoring two goals and adding an assist, as Freestate took down SoccerPlus Connecticut 4-2 and Connecticut FC 2-1.

It was a deadlock down in Dallas, as Sting and Texans tied 1-1. Britt Blackwell provided the Sting’s equalizer. On the west coast, Megan Abutin’s brace led the San Diego Surf to a 3-0 win over Arsenal FC.

 

U18

The Dallas Texans continued to hold onto the top spot in both the Texas Conference and National Flight A Standings, thanks to a 2-0 defeat over the Dallas Sting. Lindsey Meyer and Kelsey Shimmick scored a goal apiece for the Texans, which boast an 11-0-0 mark in conference play.

“I thought we played fairly well,” Texans head coach Sean Bubb told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “We weren’t as clinical with the chances we created as I would’ve liked. But the girls are just coming back from high school so we’re getting back into a rhythm.”

It was also a big weekend for FC Stars of Massachusetts, putting in two more strong performances to keep pace with PDA in the Northeast Conference. The Stars won 5-0 over FC Bucks, and followed that up with a 5-1 victory over Penn Fusion. Hayley Dowd led the way on the score sheet, while Corey Persson and Hayley Katkowski both did well.

 

ECNL Performers of the Weekend

Abby Smith, Dallas Texans U18, Goalkeeper: One of the U.S. U20 WNT goalkeepers, Smith didn’t have a great deal to do in a 2-0 win over the Dallas Sting, but her commanding presence at the back helped inspire another flawless defensive performance for the Texans.

Morgan Proffitt, Carmel United U17, Midfielder: The industrious midfielder had a busy afternoon as her Carmel United squad downed Ohio Elite 8-2, Proffitt scoring one and playing a role in her team’s dominance.

Indigo Gibson, So Cal Blues U16, Defender: A key element in a six-point weekend for So Cal, Gibson scored to help her Blues team to a narrow win on Saturday, before also helping secure a clean sheet the next day.

Kyra Cooke, Freestate Soccer Alliance U15, Defender: A center back who also gets some time up front, Cooke has been a central figure of Freestate’s recent strong patch of form. She was steady in wins over SoccerPlus Connecticut and Connecticut FC, limiting those two teams to one goal in two wins for her club. 

Jenny Haskel, PDA U15, Midfielder: While on any given week a number of players can step up for PDA, Haskel tallied and continued her consistent form in the team’s 3-0 win over World Class FC on Saturday.

Christen Cahill, Scorpions SC U16, Midfielder: In a win and a draw over the weekend, Cahill’s offensive production was instrumental, as she scored a brace in the win over Penn Fusion, and provided the lone goal in a 1-1 draw against FC Bucks.

McKenzie Meehan, Scorpions SC U17, Forward: It was another dominating performance for the Boston College-bound Meehan, who scored eight goals in two games – five against Penn Fusion and three against FC Bucks leading her Scorpions SC side to a pair of wins.

Hayley Dowd, FC Stars of Massachusetts U18, Forward: Another BC-bound forward had a great weekend for FC Stars, as Dowd’s four goals over two games helped the Stars to their wins over FC Bucks and the Fusion.