Players that Impressed: Jefferson Cup 2026 Girls Showcase Weekend

The 2026 Jefferson Cup Girls Showcase was held March 20-22 in Richmond, VA featuring around 500 of the best teams in the country. (RECAP)

The event, hosted by Richmond United, annually hosts hundreds of college coaches from all levels of the game. The Jefferson Cup has been one of the nation’s top-ranked youth soccer tournaments for over four decades. (COLLEGE COACHES)

Below are some of the top players from the Jefferson Cup Girls Showcase, sorted by graduation year. You can also nominate a player who stood out during the event through the following link.

2028

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Claire Steinbrecher | Forward
Michigan Jaguars 2009 GA (MI)

Scored the game-winning goal in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over PA Classics, slipping past her defender and finishing a clever ball from Lila Megyesi (2027-committed to Saint Louis). Throughout the weekend, the 2028 uncommitted striker showed that she is more than willing to take on multiple defenders and can use her strength and speed to open up play.

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Hailey Mazariegos | Midfielder
SYC Soccer 2010 GA (VA)

Crushed a high curling effort into the upper right corner of the goal on Friday to secure a 2-0 victory over SUSA ECNL RL on match day one. SYC’s captain leads by example and has a tough, persistent mentality both on and off of the ball. In tough situations and in need of a goal, Mazariegos is more than willing to drive directly at opponents and do whatever it takes to get the result.

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Jenna Khleif | Goalkeeper
Baltimore Armour 2010 GA (MD)

Organized a tight knit Armour backline throughout the second half against Nationals SC, holding onto a 2-1 victory. Khleif effectively communicated to center back Sarah Corb (2028), midfielder Avery Clelan(2028), and outside back/captain Sophie McClelland (2028) the opposition’s attacking patterns helping them close down passing lanes and start the counter-attack. 

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Breanna Mender | Midfielder / Forward
SUSA FC 2010 ECNL (NY)

Linking up with midfielder-forward Gabriella Simonian (2028), Merder opened up the VDA defense using her speed and quick passing to help set up their first goal on Saturday. Mercer has a high motor and can quietly slip past defenders to connect on passes in open space. She can also make small adjustments on the pitch and make tactical changes to help give her team the best chance to succeed.

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Leah Esders | Midfielder / Forward
RNY FC GA 2010 (NY)

Buried a hat trick on match day one to help lift Rochester past PSA Monmouth 8-1. In tight spaces Esders excels, creating space to hit her shots off with speed and pace. She can also use her dynamic left foot to create a strong goal scoring opportunities for her teammates. Esders added a fourth on Sunday in their 3-1 victory LVU Rush GA to give the New York based- team their third victory in the Superior Orange division.

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Charlotte Donato | Defender / Midfielder
Arlington SA 2010 ECNL (VA)

Netted her second goal in back-to-back games helping Arlington book a 1-1 draw with Seattle Reign in the U16 Elite Orange Division. Donato has an excellent sense of timing and uses her strong passing skills to move Arlington from a defensive posture into an attacking one. Defensively, Donato primarily slots in at the center-back position but can also move into the outside back position when called upon.

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Amelia Reader | Midfielder
Penn Fusion SA ECNL 2010 (PA)

An expert ball control specialist, Reader helped Penn Fusion maintain possession for long periods of time during their 4-0 victory over VDA on Sunday. Reader has an excellent understanding of when to speed up play and when to slow it down forcing opponents to chase and second guess themselves. She also showed that she is more than willing to lend a hand (or a head) on the attack, knocking home the opening goal off of a cross against VDA.

2027

Riley Priestap | Midfielder
Michigan Jaguars 2009 GA (MI)

Facing considerable pressure in a close game 202against Classics, Priestap effectively shut down passing lanes and helped maintain possession for long portions of the match. Alongside defenders Natalia Hurd (2027- Wayne State) and Chiara Webster (2027-Western Kentucky) Priestap held the potent Classics attack at bay long enough to earn the victory. Priestap has verbally committed to playing college soccer at North Dakota.

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Cameron Blouch | Midfielder
PA Classics 2009 GA (PA)

Pressed the Jaguars back line throughout the match, continuing to look for any advantage possible. Blouch’s superior field vision and crisp passes helped open up play throughout the match and kept their opponents on their back heels late. Although the result didn’t go Classics way, Blouch’s heart and hustle particularly proved that she can handle pressure situations.

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Brianna Young | Forward / Midfielder
Penn Fusion SA ECNL 2009 (PA)

Working alongside Kylie Berk (2027-Virginia) Youbg tore through a tough Nationals backline and forced them to play out of position. The Tennessee verbal commit set up Berk in the fourth minute with a pinpoint pass at the top of the eighteen yard box giving Penn Fusion the early 1-0 lead. Young is also more than willing to pitch in defensively and can make quick interceptions to stem counter-attacks.

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Isabella Kail | Goalkeeper
Penn Fusion SA ECNL 2009 (PA)

The best goalkeepers shine under pressure and Kail certainly faced her fair share of trouble early against Nationals. Despite facing one of the top attacking teams in the Girls Academy, Kail held her own throughout the match. Her sharp instincts were on full display in the third minute when she sprawled out to make a difficult diving save.

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Clare Greisen | Goalkeeper
World Class FC ECNL 2009 (NY)

The Northwestern commit continued her strong run of form up top for World Class, netting a brace against Virginia Development Academy on Friday. She added a third on Saturday, scoring the go-ahead goal in World Class’ 3-1 win over FC DELCO. In both open and closed space Greisen timed her shots perfectly to give herself the best chance at putting the ball into the back of the net.

2026

Emma Braxton | Forward
SYC Soccer 08/07 GA (VA)

Smashed four goals in SYC’s victories over Sporting Columbus Girls ECNL-RL (4-3) and FC Stars ECNL White RL Girls 2008/2007, continuing her strong run of attacking form in 2025-2026. Off of the ball, Braxton is constantly working to find small gaps within a defense to exploit and links up well with her teammates to create scoring chances. Braxton has committed to playing college soccer next season at Mary Washington.