ENPL Announce Midwest Qualifying Competitions
The Midwest qualifying competitions for the ENPL have been announced as teams put their skills to the test against the top competition in the United States. The ENPL is a collaboration between US Club Soccer and the ECNL to raise the level of boys soccer in the United States.
Youth Soccer News: With the announcement of the ENPL qualifying leagues in the Southeast and Northeast regions, the ENPL has released the qualifying National Premier Leagues and the qualifying Boys ECNL Conference for the 2017/18 season in the Midwest.
Qualifying U14 to U19 boys teams from the Midwest Development League, the Northern Illinois Soccer League (NISL) and the Boys ECNL Midwest Conference will advance to the ENPL Playoffs in June of 2018. These clubs will earn qualification to the ENPL Playoffs based on their performances during the regular season.
By providing qualification paths for both team-based and club-based competitions, the ENPL will include the best boys players across the country.
The Midwest Developmental League includes clubs from Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with one team crowned the 2016 NPL Finals Champions. The club-based league has been in existence since 2012, providing regional competition for top teams in the Midwest.
“As one of the founding member leagues of the NPL, clubs in the Midwest Developmental League bring experience and a championship pedigree to the ENPL,” said Leo Garcia, NPL General Manager. “Midwest Developmental League clubs are perennial national title contenders in the NPL, and now the ENPL offers an additional challenge.”
The NISL was founded in 1975 and is now one of the most competitive youth soccer leagues in the U.S. with over 17,000 players on more than 1,300 teams throughout Chicago. The top division of the NISL is the Chicago NPL, which will include qualifying teams for the ENPL Playoffs. A full list of NISL member clubs can be found here.
“The NISL is excited for the new ENPL playoff platform,” said Brendan Eitz, NISL Technical Director. “With Chicago-land being one of the major competitive market places in the country, the NISL looks forward to additional opportunities that the ENPL will provide for our clubs and organizations.”
Additional clubs announced to these qualifying competitions will be released in the coming weeks, as well as other Boys ECNL Conferences and NPLs.
Photo Credit: US Club Soccer
