FC Stars East to lead local teams at ECNL National Playoffs

FC Stars East U-19 forward Allie Winstanley, a Dartmouth commit. (Luke Stergiou/New England Soccer Journal)

As an Elite Clubs National League season gets underway, a far-off hope for teams is reaching the Champions League stage of ECNL National Playoffs, with this year’s version held June 25-July 1 in San Diego, Calif.

For FC Stars East, that longing has turned into reality, with the club’s U-17, U-19 and U-19 Composite teams finishing atop the Northeast Conference. With a point Monday night against Connecticut FC in their regular-season finale, the club’s U-14 team also assumed pole position. Meanwhile, the club’s U-15 team finished second to SUSA (New York) on a tiebreaker.

It’s an impressive Champions League haul from the group based out of Lancaster, Mass., with only 32 teams nationally across eight conferences earning such spots at each age group. That feat, director of coaching Jason Dewhurst said, comes down to peaking at the right time.