Maya Hayes is one of those players you’d notice on the field even if you were blind. She’s a stellar athlete, blessed with speed, quickness and agility. Watching her compete, and stand out in both U18 and U20 U.S. National camps has been proof of her tools. Even in those premier settings, there has rarely been a better pure athlete on the field than Hayes.

So why do we visit all this?  

Because she’s ranked as the third best 2010 graduate in the New Jersey Region, an area we're highlighting today.

Mayes will attend Penn State next year and should be a welcome addition to the 11-time Big Ten champions.

The only two New Jersey players we have ranked ahead of Mayes in the 2010s are Mary Gibson Wagner and Meagan Morris.

Wagner is a special player bound for Boston College next season. Groomed at PDA, she has great technical ability and composure on the ball. She’s a star amongst stars in a great soccer environment.  

A fellow PDA product includes Gabriella Guzman, a strong player who has a savvy and a knack for scoring. Guzman, who is ranked #8, is a solid presence who will attend Princeton.

Jenna Gibney is a player to keep an eye on in the U17s. She plays for Montclair SC, the same club as Hayes and has experience playing for the U.S. in national camps.

Jessica Lee is another player with a lot of national camp experience. We were able to see her this past spring when she was in a combined grouping of U.S. U17s and U18s playing with stars like Morgan Andrews, Kylie McCarthy, Caprice Dydasco and Abby Smith. Lee is a good midfielder who has excellent instincts on the pitch.

A future star to be aware of is Brittain Dearden, the top rated 2013 player in her region. From Mt. Laurel United, Dearden is a technical and fast player who is a student of the game and has proven she can play anywhere.

“She plays mostly as an outside midfielder but she performed really well at national camp playing as an outside back. She’s just one of those players who could probably be put anywhere,” said Mt. Laurel United coach Steve Brownell. “On the field I would describe her as highly technical, good with her feet and in the air.

“She has all the intangibles: she’s a really smart player with a huge heart.”