2022 Boys Fall College Showcase Recap
Featuring high-quality matches, highlight reel worthy goals, nearly 100 college coaches, and the competition’s first-ever All-Star Game, the 2022 Boys Fall NorCal College Showcase proved a massive success this past weekend in Davis.
Thousands of players from hundreds of teams converged at Davis Legacy Soccer Complex Saturday and Sunday for a weekend packed full of soccer as talent evaluators from nearly two dozen states closely watched their next potential star players play one game each day against opponents of a similar level.
Teams from NorCal Premier Soccer’s National Premier League were joined by sides from the ECNL, MLS Next, and a handful of out-of-area applicants as the vast majority of the youth soccer community met for its traditional bi-annual gathering.
“I’ve coached at this showcase before so now coming over here to recruit and scout has been amazing,” said Holy Names University assistant coach Juan Aguilar. “(I love watching) back-to-back-to-back games – there’s a lot of talent out here, without a doubt.”
Added Cal Poly Humboldt assistant Brian Bianucci: “There are a lot of good players and a lot of good teams. It’s great to get everyone in one place and it makes the recruiting process (much easier). It’s always a top-class event out here, NorCal does a fantastic job. I’m always happy to be here, see a lot of friends, see a lot of coaches, and be able to recruit, and hopefully find some players for the future.”
In addition to the series of one-off matches contested, NorCal also crowned fall NPL champions as the top team from each of the four NPL’s met for the Cross Regional Playoffs that began with semifinal games Saturday and ended with the finals Sunday.
Earning the right to call themselves NorCal’s top NPL team were 1974 Newark FC/San Francisco Elite Academy, Ceres Earthquake/1974 Newark FC, and Association Football Club/De Anza Force.
1974 Newark FC won the U16 division after defeating San Francisco Elite 2-0, Another Newark side claimed the U17 title by beating Ceres Earthquake 3-1, and, lastly, Association Football Club lifted the U19 trophy with a 1-0 downing of De Anza Force.
However, the weekend’s signature event may have come Saturday night when a selection of the 26 best juniors and seniors from the Bay Area took on a similar squad from the Central Valley in the first-ever NorCal College Showcase All-Star Game.
While the contest proved competitive, the Bay side narrowly edged Valley via a 2-1 scoreline.
“Overall, it was another great showcase for both the players and college coaches,” said NorCal NPL Commissioner Kelcey Chaidez. “Most of the matches were competitive, the Cross Regional Playoffs went down to the wire, and the All-Star Game went even better than expected. I can’t wait to do this all again next weekend.”
With the boys event is now in the books, NorCal is set to run it all back as the 2022 Girls Fall NorCal College Showcase kicks off Saturday at Legacy.
For more information about NorCal’s showcases, click here. Event scores and results can be found here. For a list of college coaches who attended, click here.
