MESA, Ariz. (Nov. 9, 2025) — Three exciting days of play at the National League winter event in Mesa, Ariz., saw 30 girls teams secure spots in postseason competition, with 15 of those sides punching their ticket to the 2026 USYS National Championships, presented by New York Life.
Each of the National Championship qualifiers finished first in their four-team group in Mesa. Meanwhile, second-place finishers in each winter event group will advance to either the National Championships or the inaugural edition of The National League Cup.
“Last year, we went to Nationals but came up short,” IMG Academy Premier Girls (FL) coach Kyle Griffith said. “It’s nice to do it (qualify) in November. Coming all the way from Florida — a lot of travel, tough competition. I tell the girls that this is the toughest competition they’ll face all year except for the National Championships.”
National Championships | Girls Qualifiers via NL November Event
The postseason destination for second-place teams is dependent on tiebreakers across all groups at both sets of winter events. Following the conclusion of the January winter event, all tiebreakers will be completed to determine all advancing teams’ postseason destinations.
This weekend’s games in Mesa featured top girls teams in the 14U-19U age groups from the National League’s club-based and team-based divisions, as each competing side earned its place in the event through its performance in league competitions over the past season.
The 15 teams that qualified for the National Championships came from eight different USYS State Associations, led by Cal South with six.
CDA Slammers (CA-S), Indy Eleven North (IN), and Solar SC (TX-N) led all girls clubs in attendance with two teams that earned a berth to Nationals. For the advancing teams, that berth represents a year of hard work.
“We fell short last year,” said CDA Slammers 11G NL I (CA-S) coach Eric Gonzalez. “For the girls that have stayed the course, it feels really good. The work that they’re putting in is paying off. (We’re) very excited to compete for a National Championship. That’s always an honor and a privilege because not everyone gets to go.”
Expanding to all postseason qualifiers, 11 different USYS State Associations saw teams finish in the top two of their four-team groups in Mesa. Cal South led the way with nine teams that earned a trip to a postseason event and North Texas was close behind with eight teams.
Five clubs — CDA Slammers (CA-S), FC Premier (CA-S), Indy Eleven North (IN), Los Angeles SC (CA-S), and Solar SC (TX-N) — had at least two teams earn a postseason berth, with Solar being the only club to have five teams advance.
The next National League winter event will take place Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026, when both boys and girls teams will compete in Mesa, Ariz.
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Visit the National League website for more information on its national events and league formats.