The spring season is underway in the USYS National League Conferences, Managed by EDP Soccer. The top USYS leagues in the region, each conference has seen some fantastic early battles from the best teams across the East Region.
Teams are competing for the opportunity to qualify for the 2022 USYS Eastern Regional Championships and also a chance to earn their place in the 2022-2023 season of the prestigious USYS National League P.R.O. competition. In the current 2021-2022 National League P.R.O. season, 32 teams from these conferences have clinched their place at the 2022 USYS National Championships this summer, with 12 more still in contention with their local 7th game left to play.
JUMP TO: Mid Atlantic | New England | North Atlantic | South Atlantic
See updates of some of the top divisions below:
Mid Atlantic Conference
The 18U Boys Premier I Division is one of the toughest divisions in the nation. Four teams have qualified so far for Nationals through their performance in National League P.R.O. One of those four teams is PDA Hibernian Modric, who sits in first place in the conference after opening the season 3-0-0. The other three are right on the heels of PDA in three of the next four spots, with each led by a top goal scorers in the region — Beckett Wenger for PA Dominion FC, Ransford Gyan for Cedar Stars Academy North 04, and Sam Nyenka for Lower Merion SC Invictus.
“It’s a top division, and you’re getting a competitive game every weekend. That’s important for the players as they prepare for the college level,” said Mark Pratico, coach of PDA Hibernian Modric. “We had success in P.R.O. and the first few league games with a ‘next-man-up’ mentality, since the boys have been pretty beat up. We’ve gone deep into our player pool, which is rewarding from a player development standpoint. Most teams in the league have battled for years, so April and May should be really exciting ahead of Nationals.”
The 16U Girls Premier I Division will be one of the toughest divisions in the Conference, with all 10 teams battling for the top spot. Lower Merion SC Impact clinched its spot in Nationals through National League P.R.O., and sits at the top of the table with Wall Elite Atletico. FC Revolution Reds, who LMSC defeated in their opening match, is just behind the co-leaders. RUSA FC 06, led by star player Mia Abbey opened up their season against Clarkstown SC 06 after both sides had fantastic performances in National League P.R.O. this winter.
“Our group put a high priority on putting together a successful run in the National League. We had two outstanding weekends at P.R.O. events in Florida, where we found a very good level and were able to score enough to win the group,” LMSC Impact coach Pete Gangl said. “We have a core of players who have been together for a long time. I am really pleased with how our new players have integrated with the group both on and off the field. We are looking forward to representing the club throughout the conference season and at Nationals.”
All scores for the Mid Atlantic Conference can be found here.
North Atlantic Conference
Quickstrike FC 2005 NL is off to a hot start in the 17U Boys Academy Division. It sits in first place with two wins and draw after playing Connecticut State Cup finalist AC Connecticut to a 1-1 draw. Brentwood SC 2005 Premier Ajax NL is currently tied with Quickstrike at the top of the table, also with a 2-0-1 record.
“The 2005 NL team is excited to return to league play. The group has played very well to start the season with 14 goals for and two goals against,” said Matt Quick, coach of Quickstrike SC. “Offensively, we have been led by Connor Howe, Erick Vargas and Erik Popp. Howe has been our main goal scorer, while Vargas and Popp have been running the midfield. Defensively, we are led by Justin Seitz, Tyler Jankowski and Joe Moore. Seitz, a goalkeeper, has only conceded one goal, while Moore and Jankowski coordinate the backline while also playing almost every minute.
“The group is very fun to coach, as they have a lot of dynamic players that are capable of playing multiple positions. We are looking forward to the upcoming matches in league play.
SDA Utica 04 Blasters has been one of the most consistent teams in the region the last few years, and will be heading to Nationals this year after advancing through National League P.R.O. SDA opened up the season with an important win over Asphalt Green before losing a very tight game to Quickstrike FC. Led by Marist College commit Olivia Lindsay, SDA faced off with a strong NY Surf squad over the weekend. The high-powered SDA attack led the squad to a 4-0 win to stay at the top of the table.
All scores for the North Atlantic Conference can be found here.
South Atlantic Conference
A3 Soccer Rangers are at the top of the 15U Girls Premier I Division through their first five games, unbeaten with four wins and a draw. The Rangers’ next three games may present their toughest stretch of the season, as they face Maryland State Cup champion Coppermine SC, state finalist OPSA and state semifinalist Old Line FC.
“The Rangers are a great team and excellent representatives of the organization. Coach Jordan Laycook has been a super dedicated leader who has worked hard for years to get the girls to where they are now,” said Eddie Hegewisch, A3 Soccer President and Executive Director. “We always see him involved in coaching education classes, and it's clear to see his dedication has brought great results to the team. It helps to have excellent players like Caroline Ray, whose hard work on the pitch earned her a spot on the MSYSA ODP team. We are excited to see the Rangers finish out their great season and we look forward to what they can do over the next couple of years.”
SAC Boys 2007 Pre-Academy just clinched its spot in Nationals with a win in its final National League P.R.O. game, and it is also 6-0-0 and in first place in the 15U Premier I Division of the conference. With five games remaining for SAC, the team looks forward to some crucial games against in-state rivals Bethesda SC Blue 05, which sits at 5-0-0, and Potomac SA Blue 07, which is 4-1-1.
“The boys had some very high goals going into this season and are on their way to meeting all of them. The primary goal for them was qualifying for the USYS Nationals, which they just did via their successful National League P.R.O. campaign,” said SAC coach Paul Capodanno. “The pivotal game in the National League was our 3-2 win against a strong Hoosier (IN) side, where we fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to score the winner in the final 30 seconds. The goal was created by some amazing individual work from Noah Blankensop, who dispossessed an Indiana player, carried the ball 20 yards upfield from which he hit a 30-yard diagonal ball to Shalom Adja, who ran onto it for the winner. Our captain Jackson Stewart also was a force all over the field contributing a goal and an assist to help us get the needed result.
“As for the rest of the spring the boys are really looking forward to trying to defend their South Atlantic Conference title as well as striving for a Maryland State Cup crown all while getting ready for the USYS Nationals in July.”
All scores for the South Atlantic Conference can be found here.
New England Conference
The New England Conference was the last conference in the East Region to kick off, with opening games being played over the weekend. The boys had both the Academy Division (club-based) and Premier I (team-based) Divisions in action, while the Girls Premier I Divisions also held their opening games.
Over 150 teams will be participating this spring from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. Clubs involved include A.C. Connecticut, Aztec, Best FC, Bridgeport Premier Futbol Club, Bruno United Futbol Club, Capital/Alliance Soccer Club, CFC New York, CFC North ,CFC Valley, Connecticut FC, CT Rush, Fellsway Wanderers FC, FSC North, Galway Rovers Football Club, Ginga FC, Inter Connecticut FC, Juventus Academy Boston, MA Rush, NEFC, New England Surf, Nova Premier Soccer Club, Oakwood Soccer Club, Ole Impact FC, PSC Dynamo CT, Real Boston FC, Rhode Island Surf, Seacoast of Bedford, Seacoast United, Seacoast United Maine SC, Seacoast United Massachusetts, Southeast Soccer Club, Spirit of Liverpool USA, Sporting CT, Trumbull United SC, Vale SC, Western United Pioneers FC, and Yankee United FC.
All scores for the New England Conference can be found Here
