Our final stop of the summer always brings us to the Tri-State area. This year, we hosted our event at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, New Jersey. Girls from clubs across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and others came out to perform in front of a vast array of college coaches. Here are some that caught our eye.

 

Interested in playing in front of college coaches and earning a spot on a TDS Unsigned Showcase Best XI list? Check out all of the information on upcoming events.

 

TDS Unsigned Showcase Tri-State Girls Best XI:

 

GK, Isabella Castagnetti, Princeton SA (2019): Castagnetti was the top keeper on the day for various reasons. Although she is slight in stature, she has an incredible spring in her jump. He is very technical and showed an excellent ability to distribute accurately. She always thinks a few steps ahead and understands exactly what is expected of her. Time and time again, Castagnetti could be seen flying through the air to make acrobatic saves.

D, Olivia Redden, World Class FC (2020): Redden was one of the top defenders on the day due to her ability to come out on top in 1v1 situations. She turns her hips very quickly, waits for the attacker to make a mistake, and quickly steals possession. In addition to solid physical attributes, Redden communicates very well and organizes players in front of her. She is one to keep an eye on over the next few years.

D, Leanne Engemann, PDA (2019): Engemann is a quality defender who can take up multiple roles along the back line. She can take up so many different responsibilities due to her excellent ability to anticipate the flow of play. She has great vision, especially after receiving the ball and looing to distribute to teammates. Her first touch can get caught under her feet a bit but is normally solid.

D, Alexa Vegoda, East Meadow FC (2020): Vegoda has tons of potential and talent at a young age. She listens well and communicates incredibly well with her teammates from the back. Vegoda showed understanding of her position by taking up smart spaces and providing options for her team. Vegoda’s distribution is consistently accurate and keeps the ball moving.

MF, Shaye Seyffart, PDA (2018): Seyffart can play just about any position on the pitch and she is able to shine anywhere she picks up the ball. She is confident on the ball and always has a clean first touch. Seyffart has a good head on her shoulders and an advanced soccer IQ. As a midfielder, she is constantly aware, both in her understanding of the spaces she occupies and what is expected out of her in that space.

MF, Grace Elliott, PDA (2018): Elliott is a quality midfielder who looks best when going forward to support the attack. She has a few tricks up her sleeve and a keen eye for a pass. From the outside, Elliott is a threat due to having a solid shot. She is also able to take players on in 1v1 situations and to create opportunities for herself and teammates.

MF, Samantha Mazula, Continental FC DELCO (2018): Mazula was the stand out attacking player in the full field games. She dictated her team's attacks via her incredible pace. Although she did not score as many goals as she could have, Mazula created countless chances for herself and teammates. She was one the best, if not the best, athletes at the event. Mazula has a clean first touch and ability to glide past any defender. She is one to keep an eye on moving forward.

MF, Miranda Wolf, Vestal YSA (2019): Wolf showed excellent patience and composure on the ball throughout the day. She is best when receiving the ball at her feet. Wolf has a clean first touch and constantly looks to keep possession. To make the leap to the next level, her speed of play can improve but she already has a great technical foundation.

MF, Carly Steinberg, World Class FC (2020): Steinberg was absolutely one of the top players on the day. She took up multiple roles in the full field game but looked at her best when playing as a defensive midfielder. She commanded the midfield with her physical presence and dictated play with her technical ability on the ball. To continue to advance, Steinberg should focus on receiving the ball from her keeper to quickly start counter attacks.

MF, Sydney Urban, PDA (2020): Urban is an incredibly technical player. She is best when receiving the ball at her feet and linking with teammates. On the attack, she consistently found the feet of her teammates. Defensively, she was occasionally beat in aerial duels but good in 1v1 situations. Urban has quality and ability in multiple positions across the midfield.

F, Gina Peraino, Continental FC DELCO (2018): Peraino communicates incredibly well with her teammates and demands the ball moving forward. She often things one or two steps ahead so she knows what direction to turn or to play a quick one touch pass. Peraino looked at her best when keeping play simple and flowing. In addition to good ball skills, Peraino has an excellent engine.

 

Second Team

GK, Alexa Gardner, South Jersey Elite Barons SA (2018): Gardner has quick feet and showed good movement across her goal. She times her jumps well to save high shots and is able to drop down quickly for low drives. Coming off the line, she can be more vocal to command respect from opponents. Distribution can also improve but is far from a weakness.

D, Lily Powell, Dallas Texans (2021): Powell is a quality center back who showed an excellent understanding of the position. She is young, but was never out of her element on the day. She has a good, clean first touch and ability to switch the ball. Powell also showed the ability to step up and penetrate into the midfield.

GK, Anna Maria Thomas, PDA (2020): Thomas has soft hands and showed good anticipation on the day. She reads the play very well and gets down early for low shots. Her first touch is always clean which gives confidence to her defenders to use her as an option. In addition to a good first touch, Thomas also has the ability to accurately distribute with both her hands and feet.

MF, Ellie Pergolotti, Academica FC (2021): Pergolotti is a team player in every sense of the phrase. She worked tirelessly to cover her teammates and to break up counter attacks. When on the ball, Pergolotti focuses on playing simple and quick. Although aspects of her game such as first touch and vision can be improved, as a 2021 Pergolotti is already a quality player.

F, Kiley Endres, Continental FC DELCO (2020): Endres was deployed in multiple attacking areas throughout the day, and performed well in every aspect. On the wing, she excelled when running at defenders with pace. In 1v1 situations, Endres showed good ability to manipulate the ball and quickly move past the opponent.

 

Honorable Mentions

D, Sydney Corbett, PDA (2020)

MF, Alivia Gallardo, Continental FC DELCO (2020)

MF, Madison Gilmore, Western NY Flash Academy (2020)

MF, Elise Buonopane, Delaware RUSH (2018

MF, Jazmin Brown, Donovan Catholic High School (2019)

F, Samantha Magill, Bayside FC Bolts (RI) (2019)

F, Maggie Weichert, Western NY Flash Academy (2018)