The Orlando City Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) teams had their first away trip of the season this weekend, competing against Carolina Elite Soccer Academy (CESA) and Charlotte Soccer Academy (CSA).
On Saturday, the ECNL teams had a highly successful match-day, winning all five games played.
The U-14s opened with a 2-1 victory in a very tight contest against CESA. The Lions continued their winning ways on Sunday, defeating CSA 1-0 to finish the weekend with an unblemished record. Serena Ahmed was the standout player of the weekend for the U-14s, in keeping the opposition at bay while also joining in the attack.
The U-15s defeated CESA in convincing fashion with a strong 4-0 win on Saturday. However, the Lions had a difficult turnaround on Sunday, falling 7-1 to CSA. Darya Rajaee was the player of the weekend for the U-15s. The midfielder scored her first goal of the year and was active on both ends of the ball.
The U-16s won both of their matches this past weekend, defeating CESA 1-0 before securing a 2-0 win over CSA on Sunday. The player of the game reflects an entire unit in this week’s recap, as the Lions’ defensive line was highly impressive – recording two clean-sheets with outstanding performances.
Defense: GK Brooke Waggoner, D Margot Cockerell, Vanessa Pajotte, Molly von Eschenbach, Princess Salazar.
The U-17s also won both of their matches against CESA and CSA this past weekend. The Lions defeated CESA 3-1 en route to a marginal 1-0 victory over CSA on Sunday. Marianna Shurina and Lauren Jackson were the standout players in both games for the U-17s. Shurina effectively transitioned from her typical midfield role to defense, displaying an excellent performance.
Jackson made her first appearance of the season at the beginning of the second half. Jackson, who has been sidelined due to an ACL injury, quickly influenced the run of play within moments of stepping onto the pitch, spurring a three-goal run from City.
The U-18s opened with a 2-1 win over CESA on Saturday. However, on the following day, the Lions suffered a harrowing 4-0 defeat to CSA. Lori Sanders was impressive as she played in the midfield for the first time. Sanders was solid all weekend in the middle of the park for Orlando.
Commenting on the results, ECNL Head Coach Alan Hough stated, “It was another good weekend for us, as it’s important to have those types of performances on the road. Winning eight games and only losing two this past weekend puts our teams in a really good position in the league. We’re in the driver’s seat to qualify for the Champions League in all of the age groups now, which is always a positive.”
