ECNL Boys Regional League Finals 2025: U13-U17 Championship Recaps

The final day of ECNL Regional League Boys Finals meant it was time to start handing out hardware, as ten teams entered the day with their eyes set on becoming ECNL Regional League National Champions.

The ECNL Regional League championship matches were loaded with first-team clubs, as nine of the 10 finalists were such clubs. In addition, six of the 10 finalists are part of clubs that have earned promotion from the ECNL Regional League into the ECNL next season, based on their success on the field. Three of those six claimed ECNL Regional League National Championships on Monday (East Coast Surf FC, Highland FC, Kansas Rush) further showing the pathway for successful ECNL Regional League clubs to earn their spot in the ECNL.

U17 Regional League National Champion – Kansas Rush

The U17 ECNL Regional League National Championship featured a chance to have a back to back champion, after Kansas Rush claimed the title last year in the U16 age group. It wouldn’t be easy for Rush though, as they faced off against a PSA Monmouth side that scored nine goals combined in their quarterfinal and semifinal matches.

PSA opened the scoring in the 34th minute when Mason Boles played a ball through to Devon Cale who was able to finish it off to put them up 1-0.

Rush responded right before the halftime break though, as Connor Williams played a great ball into the box from a set piece that Tanner Hollenbeck was able to get on the end of to knot things up at 1-1 going into the half.

In the 77th minute PSA grabbed the lead back, this time it was Boles scoring the goal, as Nate Scisco played a ball in front of goal to him that he was able to finish off to put PSA on top again.

Kansas Rush channeled their championship DNA though and battled their way back, yet again. In the 83rd minute, Bennett Christie dribbled through multiple PSA defenders, got inside the box, and fired a rocket into the upper corner to once again tie this back up.

With 90 minutes not enough to separate the two sides, Rush and PSA headed to extra time to decide the U17 ECNL Regional League National Championship.

The extra time period was full of action, with both teams pushing forward to try to score the winner, and avoid a penalty kick shootout.

It took until the final minute of extra time, but in the 110th minute, Ethan Walter swung a great ball into the box that found Ben Pronske, who fired it home to give Kansas Rush a 3-2 lead in the dying moments, as they claimed back to back ECNL Regional League National Championships.

Following their championship victory, Connor Williams was named the U17 Most Outstanding Player.

U16 Regional League National Champion – Highland FC

Highland FC opened the U16 National Championship with a ton of energy at the opening whistle, generating chances early on, most notably forcing Legends FC to clear a shot off the goal line in the opening five minutes of the match.

As the game wore on though, both Highland and Legends remained very organized defensively, limiting big chances throughout the contest.

With the teams scoreless through two halves of play, it would once again take extra time to crown a champion.

In the second period of extra time though, it was Highland FC who managed to find the breakthrough. Alex Golovchuck took a ball played over the top of the Legends backline and from the top of the box was able to work his way around the goalkeeper leaving him an open net to fire Highland FC into the lead with the game’s opening goal in the 93rd minute.

Legends came flying back though as they pushed for the equalizer and earned a free kick with just under five minutes left in the final. Mason Valdez tried to pick out the bottom corner from the free kick, but the shot rang off the post, and Highland FC was able to close out the 1-0 victory to claim their national championship.

Following the win, Boone Ferguson was named the U16 Most Outstanding Player for his excellent work defensively to help Highland FC keep a clean sheet in the championship game.

After the game, Golovchuck discussed the tragedy and adversity the team faced this season with the destruction the city of Asheville endured from the 2024 hurricanes, but said the team remained focused on trying to reach this moment.

“In the fall we were hit by a really big hurricane and our fields got washed away. We had to make it work and still train everyday cause we knew we were a special team that could win this thing and bring it home to the community.”

U15 Regional League National Champion – East Coast Surf FC

In a tense match in the U15 National Championship, East Coast Surf FC played a tight affair against Delaware FC, one where six minutes proved to be the difference between a trophy and a loss.

East Coast FC and Delaware FC played a 0-0 match throughout the first half, with both sides earning their scoring opportunities. Even after the break, the bend-but-don’t-break defense for both sides was on full display. But then finally, in the 60th minute, East Coast Surf finally broke through.

East Coast Surf FC dropped a pass from their side of the pitch into the attacking third that Delaware FC disrupted, but East Coast Surf managed to get the ball back. Surf cut a pass to the right side of the box, and a shot low to the far post hit the back of the net to make it a 1-0 game.

Six minutes later, East Coast Surf FC doubled its lead. East Coast Surf’s forward beat a defender off a pass and was fouled inside the box. The loose ball went directly to a second attacker for East Coast Surf FC, and he immediately put the shot on net. The ball bounced off a Delaware FC defender and into the net, putting East Coast Surf FC up 2-0.

Following the insurance goal, East Coast Surf FC locked it down on defense, thwarting any desperate attack by Delaware FC, and after 15 minutes, became national champions.

After the match, East Coast Surf’s Alejandro Lugris was named the U15 Most Outstanding Player.

U14 Regional League National Champion – Folsom Lake Surf

Folsom Lake Surf saved its best game of the season for the last, putting on an offensive clinic en route to the club’s first-ever Regional League Championship. Folsom Lake Surf opened up its game with an even back-and-forth against Pacesetter SC, with both teams getting quality chances. But Folsom Lake Surf tilted the field its way starting in the 18th minute, and never relented from there.

Folsom Lake scored four goals in the first half, including three goals in a 10 minute span. In the second half, they put three more goals in the back of the net, all while also maintaining a clean sheet. At the final whistle, Folsom Lake capped off their season with a historic title for their club.

U13 Regional League National Champion – Columbus Force

In the youngest age group at the ECNL Regional League Boys National Finals, Columbus Force walked away with a national title thanks to a prolific second half against East Coast Surf FC.

From the opening whistle, Columbus Force and East Coast Surf FC traded scoring chances, with both clubs looking to jump out to a lead early. In the 20th minute, Columbus Force broke through first. A pass down the left side of the pitch sprung a Force winger, and then a quick pass back into the middle allowed Columbus to pot its first goal of the game taking a 1-0 lead, which the team carried through the rest of the first half.

In the second half, armed with the lead, Columbus Force doubled down on its efforts, pinning East Coast Surf FC in its defensive third for the majority of the half. Columbus took advantage of all those opportunities, scoring four more goals to convincingly earn its first Regional League National Championship.