NPL Finals 2025 Recap: 19 teams win US Club Soccer championships

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DENVER, Colorado – The 13th annual NPL Finals concluded Monday afternoon after a week of competition at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado. Nineteen teams earned National Premier Leagues championships, joining rare and coveted company in the NPL record books.

A total of 204 teams representing 139 clubs across 26 states participated in the prestigious tournament. Teams qualified through regular season competition in their respective NPL member leagues, and the top talent from all 18 leagues were on display. For the first time in NPL history, the growth of the NPL nationally and regionally among its member leagues forced the addition of an additional competition tier in all six of the boys’ age groups and the U-13 girls division. The implementation of a Gold Division (most competitive) and Black Division also helped align the tournament’s most competitive teams.

Illinois Elite (U-13 Boys Gold and U-15 Boys Gold) and Princeton FC (U-16 Boys Black and U-17 Boys Black) were the only clubs to win more than one title, clinching the U-13 Boys Gold and U-15 Boys Gold Divisions with its Bloomingdale Lightning and Chicago Lightning teams, respectively.

The parity was also reflected among league performances during the week. Eleven leagues were represented on the final boys day and final girls day with 10 prevailing as champions: Mid-Atlantic Premier League (5 champions), Minnesota NPL (5), NISL NPL Division (2), Great Lakes Alliance NPL (1), Midwest Developmental League (1), Mountain West NPL (1), Red River NPL (1), SOCAL NPL Division (1), VPSL NPL Division (1) and Washington Premier League (1).

The U-19 girls championship between Americas FC and Black Hills Rapids SC was the second consecutive year those teams played in the finale, and the result was a flip from 2024, as Black Hills Rapids SC denied a three-peat attempt by Americas FC. St. Paul Blackhawks also earned redemption by winning the U-17 Boys Gold championship after losing the U-16 final last year.

Five championship games needed extra time, including two that went the distance, ending in penalty shootouts. The U-17 Boys Black title match was one of the most exciting, as Virginia Legacy SC jumped out to a 3-0 lead, only for Princeton FC to return the favor, tying the game with three unanswered goals of their own. Princeton would break open the game in overtime – two 10-minute periods – by scoring two deciding goals.

U-13 AGE GROUP

GIRLS – GOLD: Manitou FC (Minnesota NPL) 4, Black Hills Rapids SC (Mountain West NPL) 3

GIRLS – BLACK: WSA Union County FC (Mid-Atlantic Premier League) 2, Sparta Tacoma (Washington Premier League) 1 in overtime

BOYS – GOLD: Illinois Elite Bloomingdale Lightning (Midwest Developmental League) 3, Minneapolis United (Minnesota NPL) 0

BOYS – BLACK: Parsippany SC (Mid-Atlantic Premier League) 4, Puget Sound SC (Washington Premier League) 0

U-14 AGE GROUP

GIRLS: Northern Steel (Great Lakes Alliance NPL) 2, Culver City FC (SOCAL NPL Division) 1

BOYS – GOLD: Minneapolis United (Minnesota NPL) 5, Stockton TLJ (NorCal NPL Division) 1

BOYS – BLACK: Cohansey SC (Mid-Atlantic Premier League) 2, Nuestra Liguita de Tri-Cities FC (Washington Premier League) 1

U-15 AGE GROUP

GIRLS: St. Croix Academy (Minnesota NPL) 1, Fury FC (SOCAL NPL Division) 0

BOYS – GOLD: Illinois Elite Chicago Lightning (NISL NPL Division) 3, Gremio FC Chicago (NISL NPL Division) 1

BOYS – BLACK: Nuestra Liguita de Tri-Cities FC (Washington Premier League) 1, Montana Surf (Mountain West NPL) 0

U-16 AGE GROUP

GIRLS: Sting SC WTX (Red River NPL) 2, Sporting California USA (SOCAL NPL Division) 1

BOYS – GOLD: Chicago Fire Youth SC (NISL NPL Division) 1, St. Paul Blackhawks (Minnesota NPL) 0

BOYS – BLACK: Princeton FC (Mid-Atlantic Premier League) 0 [3], Gateway Rush SC (Midwest Developmental League) 0 [0]

U-17 AGE GROUP

GIRLS: Prior Lake SC (Minnesota NPL) 1, Soccer Vision Academy (Great Lakes Alliance NPL) 0

BOYS – GOLD: St. Paul Blackhawks (Minnesota NPL) 2, Illinois Elite Chicago Lightning (NISL NPL Division) 1

BOYS – BLACK: Princeton FC (Mid-Atlantic Premier League) 5, Virginia Legacy SC (VPSL NPL Division) 3 in overtime

U-19 AGE GROUP

GIRLS: Black Hills Rapids SC (Mountain West NPL) 4, Americas FC (Red River NPL) 3

BOYS – GOLD: Titans FC Inland Empire (SOCAL NPL Division) 1 [10], Minneapolis United (Minnesota NPL) 1 [9]

BOYS – BLACK: Virginia United FC (VPSL NPL Division) 4, Emerald City FC (Washington Premier League) 3 in overtime