ECNL & ECNL REGIONAL LEAGUE WELCOME NEW NORCAL CLUBS
– California Odyssey promoted to ECNL Girls & Los Gatos United promoted to ECNL Boys –
– Los Gatos United selected for ECNL Regional League Girls – NorCal –
SACRAMENTO, CA (March 26, 2025) – NorCal Premier Soccer is proud to announce two NorCal Clubs have been promoted to the ECNL Northern Cal Conference for the 2025-26 season–California Odyssey has earned promotion to the ECNL Girls and Los Gatos United has earned promotion to the ECNL Boys. The ECNL Regional League Girls will also welcome Los Gatos United to the new club-based division of the ECNL Regional League Girls – NorCal. Read the full ECNL Press Release.
NorCal’s unique merit-based competition structure features a promotion and relegation pathway that reaches the highest levels of play in youth soccer–this includes a direct pathway to the ECNL for top performing clubs in NorCal’s ECNL Regional League.
“Since its inception, NorCal Premier’s partnership with the ECNL has sought to provide a merit-based pathway for clubs to earn their way into the ECNL,” said NorCal Director of Competitions Dan Chamberlain. “This pathway has been demonstrated over and over again as nine clubs have been promoted into the ECNL based on their performances within the NorCal ECNL RL. Los Gatos and Cal Odyssey are the latest in a long line of clubs earning their way to the highest level through a merit-based competition structure.”
California Odyssey’s Promotion to ECNL Girls
Cal Odyssey has had a strong year in the ECNL Regional League – NorCal leading to their promotion to the ECNL NorCal Conference for the 2025-26 season. Cal Odyssey’s G10 team currently sits tied for first in the ECNL Regional League – NorCal and also went unbeaten 2-0-1 in the ECNL Regional League California National Event this month. In addition, the G08 team currently holds a playoff spot for this summer’s ECNL Regional League West Playoffs. In last summer’s ECNL Regional League West Playoffs, Cal Odyssey’s G11 team won their group, after earning qualification during the regular season.
“We are beyond thrilled with this opportunity to join the most prestigious girls player development platform in the country,” said Odyssey Technical Director Vitalis Otieno. “With this promotion to ECNL Girls, our players now have a clear developmental pathway that will see a natural boom in California’s Central Valley. But getting here is just the beginning. Now, we go to work to excel and have staying power within the elite soccer landscape in the country.”
Los Gatos United’s Promotion to ECNL Boys and ECNL Regional League Girls – NorCal
Los Gatos United has earned promotion into ECNL Boys through its success within the ECNL Regional League Boys – NorCal, where its B12 and B08 teams are currently holding playoff spots, and its B07/06 team is one spot away from doing so as well. Last season, the B07 team advanced to the knockout stages of the ECNL Regional League Boys Playoffs – West and had its B11 squad qualify for the playoffs as well. The club will aim to replicate that success within both the ECNL Boys and ECNL Regional League Girls, and with nearly 3,000 players within the organization, Los Gatos is primed to utilize the ECNL’s proven player pathway to do so.
“We are honored to be promoted into ECNL Boys and to be included in the ECNL Regional League,” said Los Gatos Executive Director Phil Gibson. “We look forward to the opportunity and challenge ahead, and to hopefully be aligned in our boys and girls programs as ECNL members in the future.”
About NorCal Premier Soccer:
Founded in 2004, NorCal Premier Soccer is the leading developmental soccer organization in Northern California. With a membership of over 270 diverse clubs and over 120,000 total competitive and recreational players, NorCal continues to be a driving force behind youth soccer’s development in the region. NorCal is committed to elevating the game of soccer through its comprehensive programs—including year-round competitions, NorCal State Cup, a no-cost Player Development Program, and heavily subsidized coach, referee, and club education programs. NorCal Premier Soccer is a California Nonprofit Benefit Corporation.
