ECNL Boys Playoffs 2025: Day 1 Recap from Seattle

The ECNL Boys Playoffs kicked off June 25 in Seattle, with an exciting slate of games played in front of hundreds of college coaches.

See below for a rundown of some of the day’s top action.

Reigning Champs Recap: South Carolina Surf 2009

South Carolina Surf returned to the ECNL Boys National Playoffs with a statement win against Santa Rosa United on Day 1 at 60 Acres Park in Seattle. After finishing first in the Southeast Conference with a 12-2-2 record, South Carolina Surf was placed in Group E as the first team, and it certainly lived up to the placement with its win Wednesday afternoon.

South Carolina Surf rode a high-pressing offense and made sure to jump on scoring opportunities when they presented themselves. Midway through the first half, captain Parker DeLuca intercepted a backwards pass and slipped a shot between the legs of the Santa Rosa goalkeeper for his first goal of the game. DeLuca added his second of the match when he found space inside the box and rocketed a shot top corner when the United defense couldn’t collapse quick enough late in the first 45.

Forward Iestan Cromedy scored a goal eerily similar to DeLuca’s first tally of the match when he intercepted a backwards pass midway through the second half, then proceeded to dance around the goalkeeper for a wide open net. His goal came just two minutes after SC Surf goalkeeper Garrett Patterson made two point-blank saves against Santa Rosa before forcing a shot into the crossbar to neutralize a dangerous scoring attempt.

SC Surf capped off its win with some tic-tac-toe passing which led to Raul Gomez having an easy backdoor tap in.

Despite the scoreline, Santa Rosa played a strong game, scoring its lone goal of the match on a great transition play early in the second half. Forward Parker Sterling got a pass in the box and was able to sneak a shot to the far post, breathing life into the Santa Rosa attack and creating promising scoring chances until SC Surf, like many champions do, closed the door.

DeLuca, captain of the SC Surf squad, said his team is up for the challenge of trying to make it back to Richmond to defend their title at the ECNL Boys National Finals.

“It feels great to be here and get a win on Day 1,” DeLuca said. “It’s a credit to all the hard work we put in over the summer and leading up to this. Defending a national championship means more pressure, but everyone’s up to it. We’re a good team, very together and we have fun playing with and for each other, so that makes it easy. We’re just taking it a game at a time though and seeing what happens, but we all are determined to get back to Richmond for the National Finals.”

Reigning Champs Recap: LAFC So Cal 2008

No one said defending a title was going to be easy, and LAFC So Cal had to battle for a 4-1 win against a scrappy Atlanta Fire team Wednesday evening at ECNL Boys National Playoffs.

LAFC So Cal entered the playoffs as the top team in the Southwest Conference and was placed in Group L as the top team. Against Atlanta Fire, they needed their experience to get the win.

Just minutes into the game, Atlanta Fire took a 1-0 lead when midfielder Jack Amrozowicz, from outside the box, chipped a shot over the goalkeeper and into the side netting to give his squad a 1-0 lead.

Having to dig deep, LAFC So Cal pushed back and clawed its way forward until midway through the first half, Cameron Ryan found a back post pass he could knock in to even the game at 1-1.

The two teams continued to push back and forth, looking for any advantage, when in the dying seconds of the first half, LAFC So Cal broke through one again when the team knocked in a rebound to take a 2-1 lead.

In the second half, LAFC So Cal continued to press forward, controlling possession and countering when necessary. In the 62nd minute, its counterattack created a scoring chance when LAFC So Cal was able to steal the ball, slice through multiple defenders and then bury the shot for a 3-1 lead.

LAFC So Cal iced the game then in the 85th minute Ryan fed midfielder Donovan Mark along the right side of the pitch, allowing him to go on a long run toward the net that ended with the ball in the back of the net.

Captain Liam Guedalia said the win was a hard fought one, a testament to his squads regular season, but their eyes remain on the ultimate prize: a spot in Richmond for the National Finals.

“We went down 1-0 today but kept fighting and were able to battle back for the win,” Guedalia said. “It was a good start and put us in a good position early to repeat what we did last year, winning a national championship. We’ve been working hard this season but it’s a new journey. We want to compete, take care of business and hopefully find our way back to Virginia.”

Day 1 U18/19 Scores