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ECNL’s brightest stars took center stage on Sunday night at the Continental Tire National Selection Game at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
The fireworks started early in this match as the West came out in attacking mode early on.
In the 8th minute, Sophia Bradley (PDA) decided to shoot from long range after noticing the East keeper was slightly off line. Beyond the goalie’s outstretched hand, Bradley fired a high shot that arced from outside her box and found the back of the net to start her scoring.
Only a minute later, the West started it again. Kylie Cookan (SLSG) held the ball in the box, found a little space and shot from a sharp angle into the bottom left corner to give the West a 2-0 lead.
In the 11th minute, West shook the goal again and Amanda Schlueter (Kings Hammer SC) started to play. Schlueter received a pass from his Kukan, broke through the eastern defense and found the next back he extended the lead to 3-0.
However, the eastern side showed some resilience.
In the 19th minute, Keaton Mitchell (Tennessee SC) hit a knuckle shot from outside the box that evaded the keeper and put East on the board.
After a frantic start with four goals in the first 20 minutes, both sides adapted and settled down defensively.
In the 64th minute, Kukan and Schlüter found their connection again. Kukan passed the ball to his Schlueter in the box, who sneaked it deep into the net to score his second goal of the night.
Towards the end of the night, McKenna Newcome (Loudoun Soccer) found themselves on the other side with a great ball in the box with Schlueter. Schlueter scored a hat-trick that night to seal the win for the West team.
After the match, Schlueter talked about her hat-trick, but also credited her teammates for helping her achieve such an amazing feat.
🎩🎩🎩
Three Nights by Amanda Schreuter (@King Shammer) to score a hat-trick! #ECNLNSG pic.twitter.com/HgK45fRbZ6
— ECNL Girls (@ECNLgirls) January 9, 2023
“It’s a good achievement, but it wouldn’t have happened without my teammates,” Schlueter said. “One of my strengths is my ability to find the back of the net in any situation, and I feel I was able to express that tonight with the help of my teammates.
When asked about his chemistry with Schlueter after the game, Kukan said, “I feel like we’re doing pretty well on the field.”
Schlueter and Kukan also emphasized how much it means to them to perform well on such a big stage on Sunday night.
“These games are very intense, so that means a lot to me. The fast speed of play is great,” Schlueter said.
Kukan said, “I was nervous, but it was fun to do a show like this, and I’m excited to see it turn out like this. ‘So it means a lot.'”
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