Few teams get an opportunity to play in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) National Finals Tournament championship.
After all, the showcase event features the best club soccer teams in the nation duking it out for supremacy. Mountain View Los Altos (MVLA) has long established itself as one of the premier programs in the West Region.
Now, it has cemented its status as one of the best clubs in the nation. MVLA’s under-16 girls team made it happen by defeating the Kansas City Athletics 3-1 on July 21 in Virginia to claim the national championship. Two members on the team—juniors Avery Edson and Teagan Kaefer—happen to be standouts at Los Gatos High School.
“This has been a big goal (for the club) for a while,” Edson said. “The last time (MVLA won a ECNL title) was 2004, so it’s a big thing for our club. To see the community reaction has been awesome.”
MVLA beat the Utah Royals and Penn Fusion by identical 1-0 scores before playing Kansas City in the championship match.
“The competition was very hard leading up to the final,” Edson said. “I think the hardest game was vs. Penn Fusion. We scored in the first 10 minutes but the whole game was neck and neck.”
Edson, an outside back, and Kaefer, a center back, were part of a strong defensive corps that allowed just one goal in three matches in the National Finals tournament. MVLA was equally stout in the ultra-competitive National Playoffs in San Diego, where it yielded just two goals in three matches—going 2-0-1 in the process—to earn a berth to the National Finals.
In the national championship match, MVLA stunned Kansas City with a goal midway through the first half en route to victory.
“One of our center backs took a free kick and nailed it to the top corner,” Edson said. “Just a great goal by a great player. That kind of set the tone for the game, and we had a lot of confidence from that point on.”
When the final whistle sounded, the MVLA players and coaches erupted in celebration.
“It was such an unreal experience to run to each other, dogpile, take photos, and then pour Gatorade on our coach,” Edson said. “People were crying and everyone was super excited.”
Edson and Kaefer have played together since they were 7-year-olds, with both players developing into potential four-year college prospects.
“It’s been a dream of mine to earn a scholarship to play in college and hopefully after college,” Edson said.
The motto No rest for the weary applies to soccer club players like Edson, who took only a week off after the championship match before club training resumed Aug. 11 for the fall season. Playing year-round batters the body, so Edson prioritizes healthy eating habits, conditioning and sleep.
“I believe it’s all about balance and as long as I put in the work and take care of my body, I’ll put myself in the best position to succeed,” she said. “After such a long club season in which we played the max amount of games, I still feel fine. My ultimate goal is to keep my body in the best shape possible. I’ve never known anything different.”
Edson and Kaefer helped power the Wildcats to a Santa Clara Valley Athletic League De Anza Division championship last season, the team’s first A-league title in six years. Los Gatos graduated just one senior starter and expects to add a talented freshmen class to bolster an already uber-talented lineup.
“We’re all excited for what’s ahead,” Edson said. “We’ve already got two girls committed to play D1 soccer—and a bunch of other girls who are really good.”
