By Anonymous (not verified), February 10, 2023
THE GIRLS ACADEMY LEAGUE ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR
CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL EVENT – MARCH 2023
(February 8, 2023) — The Girls Academy (GA), the only nationwide all-female youth league, releases details of their second annual Champions Cup finals competition. From March 9-14, the best of the bestGirls Academy teams will head to IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. After the first round of games in Mesa, AZ in December of 2022, teams will enter this event battling for final position, by age group and by club.
"When asked about what they wanted as part of their Girls Academy experience, the players were excited about implementing an aspirational competition within the league and the Champions Cup was formed. This is our second annual finals event and it gives the teams and clubs an opportunity to earn more high-level playing opportunities in a knockout event that provides a memorable experience, and will be fun for everyone,” Girls Academy commissioner Lesle Gallimore said. “This stand-alone event in March on the world-class grounds of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fl., will provide a focused scouting opportunity for college coaches and U.S. youth national team scouts."
The first-ever GA Champions Cup Club Champion from last season was the Nationals out of Detroit, Mich. Scarlett Thomas played for them last season and is now a freshman at the University of Missouri.
“The Champions Cup was such a great trip. Bringing together the most competitive clubs created a really exciting atmosphere,” Thomas said. “Every minute of every game was highly competitive, and every team was full of talent. It was super beneficial to get to play teams from outside our regular conference play, full of talented players we will likely be seeing again at the college level. It is always such a fun experience bringing together elite level hard-working players.”
In the Champions Cup finals format, teams will compete in a round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final match to determine a Champions Cup winner per age group. Teams advancing in each round will compete in thewinner's bracket while teams that do not advance will compete for club points in the consolation bracket. In addition to each age group's Champions Cup winner, an overall league-wide Club Champion Cup winner will be named.
“The competitive nature and format of the event was terrific, and we look forward to being back this year. Every game mattered,” Florida State University head women’s soccer coach Brian Pensky said. “There were tears of joy and tears of heartbreak – and that’s all part of development – knowing how to win games.”
Champions Cup Arizona attracted hundreds of college coaches and U.S. Soccer Youth National Team scouts. The competition also helped establish seeding for the knockout phase.
All age groups will play 4 games across 5 days with a maximum of 1 game per day. The age group breakdown by day:
U13: March 9, 11, 12, 13U14: March 10, 11, 12, 14U15: March 10, 11, 13, 14U16: March 10, 11, 12, 14U17: March 9, 10, 12, 13U19: March 9, 10, 11, 13
2022-2023 Full Champions Cup clubs include:
- Frontier Conference: Lonestar SC and Houston Dash
- Mid-America: Nationals and Cincinnati United Premier
- Mid-Atlantic: TSJ-FC Virginia and PA Classics
- Mountain West: Colorado Rush and Utah Celtic
- Northeast: NEFC and STA
- Northwest: Spokane Sounders and Lamorinda SC
- Southeast: Tophat Gold and Florida United
- Southwest: City SC and Albion SC San Diego
Wild Cards:
Additional spots by age group are awarded.
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About the Girls Academy (GA)
The Girls Academy League is the leading youth development platform for the best female soccer players in the United States, which includes 9 conferences, 91 clubs, and more than 12,000 players across the nation. The GA is the only all-girls national youth soccer platform that represents the collective vision of member clubs and actively engages the voice of the players to take real ownership in their journey. The league engages the voice of the GA players through the first-ever player Advisory Panel. The GA is committed to cultivating an environment that empowers each player to reach their best potential as an exceptional athlete and human being by celebrating the player’s journey with a lifelong love of the game through competition, showcases, and camaraderie. In addition to league play, this season features National Showcases and Playoffs, the first-ever Champions League Competitions, Talent ID National and Regional events, and Regional Competitions for younger age groups.