Preseason DA Rankings 04

[Kicker4Life]

Times have changed. Beach has chosen their path with GDA. I agree with other posters ECNL needs to select based on geography and solid record. Are there any deserving clubs in L.A. County?

After the 8 existing clubs voted down any expansision in SoCal for 3-4 years running, what would you have them do? One could easily argue Had ECNL looked to ”re-shuffle” the deck a few years back or simply added a club in the SB area, the push for GDA wouldn’t have been so strong. Not like there are any other Clubs with both GDA and ECNL.

Let’s be honest....was DMCV a “worthy” Club? More so than Legends and/or Beach? We know it wasn’t because of a lack of geographical representation.

Like most things in life, politics ruined it!

 

[Striker17]

So why do you want ECNL then? Just asking because it seems like Beach does great on the other circuit

 

[Kicker4Life]

So why do you want ECNL then? Just asking because it seems like Beach does great on the other circuit

Wasn’t saying I did or didn’t want it. It goes back to my post stating that if they gave ECNL to FRAM it would be a huge slap in the face.

I will say that I feel ECNL is a better alternative League than DPL especially in terms of balance competition (Top to bottom) in the ‘03 and ‘04 age groups therefore IF ECNL was liking to expand into LA County. BEACH would still make sense as an addition.

 

[Striker17]

I am asking because I don't know that area too well- don't you think they need one more "north" or is the distance between Blues and Strikers and Beach lengthy
Yes Sharks no way belongs in the League. Period

 

[JoeBieber]

Not the same team but does have some of the girls from the LB ‘04 who won the Presidents National Championship.

What's the President's National Championship?

 

[Hired Gun]

What's the President's National Championship?

Reagan, Carter, Mondale??

 

[Kicker4Life]

What's the President's National Championship?

Valid question cause I don’t know exactly what it’s called. That team Beach FC LB ‘04 Nunez was in the Presidents Division of Sate Cup. Won in SoCal, went on and won the next regional event I think in Utah, then Won the next, final stage I think in Florida.

 

[Kicker4Life]

I am asking because I don't know that area too well- don't you think they need one more "north" or is the distance between Blues and Strikers and Beach lengthy
Yes Sharks no way belongs in the League. Period

Slammers is probably the closest ECNL team. My neighbor plays on the ‘02 Slammers Team and during the week it takes her between Hour and 15 Min to 2 hours to get down there.

 

[Chris Knight]

Playing on a B team... lol. This certainly depends on your geography. Remember SoCal is all in on GDA. You've spread your talent to thin.

Fantastic stuff shales! I know this is a couple weeks old but I had to interject --

You mentioned that SoCal is all in on DA ... Is this an argument that you generally believe that ECNL clubs field stronger top sides than those at DA clubs? Would the talent be spread any differently had those clubs in SoCal stuck with ECNL?

While I realize that the ECNL is still thriving here and there, it is already becoming a shell of itself in many prominent regions ... NTX and CO to name a couple. In recent conversations I had with multiple college coaches attending a GDA event, they mentioned how surprised and disappointed they were to see to drop off in level of play at the last ECNL event they attended in Phoenix. They seemed to be amazed at how quickly and how large the bite that GDA had already taken out of the ECNL was --

A trend that we agree will likely continue.

 

[shales1002]

Fantastic stuff shales! I know this is a couple weeks old but I had to interject --

You mentioned that SoCal is all in on DA ... Is this an argument that you generally believe that ECNL clubs field stronger top sides than those at DA clubs? Would the talent be spread any differently had those clubs in SoCal stuck with ECNL?

While I realize that the ECNL is still thriving here and there, it is already becoming a shell of itself in many prominent regions ... NTX and CO to name a couple. In recent conversations I had with multiple college coaches attending a GDA event, they mentioned how surprised and disappointed they were to see to drop off in level of play at the last ECNL event they attended in Phoenix. They seemed to be amazed at how quickly and how large the bite that GDA had already taken out of the ECNL was --

A trend that we agree will likely continue.

My argument is that SoCal doesn't need 21 ELITE teams. When they had 8 ECNL teams they consolidated their talent very well. They instilled fear. Perhaps at most there should be 10 in the area which should include L.A. County. I'm not saying there shouldn't be GDA. Im saying it shouldn't be 21 elite teams because there aren't that many truly elite players.

I do believe that there are certainly some teams that are currently in ECNL that could easily shift to GDA. There are some GDA teams that shouldn't be in the league. Looking at the stats, I saw one club gave up 94 goals in the first 11 games. Another 44 goals. Not necessarily SoCal, but I'm seeing the blow outs everywhere and in both ECNL and GDA.

As for the college coaches that I have spoken to, they were disappointed that all the best girls weren't in one location like they used to be. Requires a little
more leg work on their part. However, they stated the opposite . They said that the ECNL Event was more catered towards them. Honestly didn't see a drop off of College coaches in attendance in Phoenix. The real test will be in April when both showcase events are found on at the same time.

Like you said it's changing the landscape for NTX and Co. Perhaps just like Socal . But do you all have 21 "Elite" clubs in your area? I would bet without looking you have 4/5 GDA and ~ 8 ECNL. It all depends on geography . Do you ever read the NorCal threads? Their perspective is in stark contrast to SoCal.
http://nocalsoccer.com/index.php?threads/gda-winter-showcase.1083/

Most of us the end goal is a college scholarship for our DD. At this point in time, BOTH paths are viable options to reach that goal. Both are diluted . The U.S. scouts are still in attendance at ECNL events as well If the end goal is NT for your player.

 

[davin]

My argument is that SoCal doesn't need 21 ELITE teams. When they had 8 ECNL teams they consolidated their talent very well. They instilled fear. Perhaps at most there should be 10 in the area which should include L.A. County. I'm not saying there shouldn't be GDA. Im saying it shouldn't be 21 elite teams because there aren't that many truly elite players.

I do believe that there are certainly some teams that are currently in ECNL that could easily shift to GDA. There are some GDA teams that shouldn't be in the league. Looking at the stats, I saw one club gave up 94 goals in the first 11 games. Another 44 goals. Not necessarily SoCal, but I'm seeing the blow outs everywhere and in both ECNL and GDA.

As for the college coaches that I have spoken to, they were disappointed that all the best girls weren't in one location like they used to be. Requires a little
more leg work on their part. However, they stated the opposite . They said that the ECNL Event was more catered towards them. Honestly didn't see a drop off of College coaches in attendance in Phoenix. The real test will be in April when both showcase events are found on at the same time.

Like you said it's changing the landscape for NTX and Co. Perhaps just like Socal . But do you all have 21 "Elite" clubs in your area? I would bet without looking you have 4/5 GDA and ~ 8 ECNL. It all depends on geography . Do you ever read the NorCal threads? Their perspective is in stark contrast to SoCal.
http://nocalsoccer.com/index.php?threads/gda-winter-showcase.1083/

Most of us the end goal is a college scholarship for our DD. At this point in time, BOTH paths are viable options to reach that goal. Both are diluted . The U.S. scouts are still in attendance at ECNL events as well If the end goal is NT for your player.

The Earthquakes, who have the strongest DA teams in NorCal from top to bottom, struggled piecing rosters together for the showcase since many of their players didn’t want to attend.

Here is one of the game reports from their u16/17 team. Notice how many full time players were not even rostered and how many DPs they neeeded to have in order to fill out the roster for the showcase, including a 2005. This is true for all the Quakes teams at the showcase.
http://www.ussoccerda.com/sam/standings/ss/view_game_report.php?eventId=4668370&teamId=4001660

 

[Chris Knight]

My argument is that SoCal doesn't need 21 ELITE teams. When they had 8 ECNL teams they consolidated their talent very well. They instilled fear. Perhaps at most there should be 10 in the area which should include L.A. County. I'm not saying there shouldn't be GDA. Im saying it shouldn't be 21 elite teams because there aren't that many truly elite players.

I do believe that there are certainly some teams that are currently in ECNL that could easily shift to GDA. There are some GDA teams that shouldn't be in the league. Looking at the stats, I saw one club gave up 94 goals in the first 11 games. Another 44 goals. Not necessarily SoCal, but I'm seeing the blow outs everywhere and in both ECNL and GDA.

As for the college coaches that I have spoken to, they were disappointed that all the best girls weren't in one location like they used to be. Requires a little
more leg work on their part. However, they stated the opposite . They said that the ECNL Event was more catered towards them. Honestly didn't see a drop off of College coaches in attendance in Phoenix. The real test will be in April when both showcase events are found on at the same time.

Like you said it's changing the landscape for NTX and Co. Perhaps just like Socal . But do you all have 21 "Elite" clubs in your area? I would bet without looking you have 4/5 GDA and ~ 8 ECNL. It all depends on geography . Do you ever read the NorCal threads? Their perspective is in stark contrast to SoCal.
http://nocalsoccer.com/index.php?threads/gda-winter-showcase.1083/

Most of us the end goal is a college scholarship for our DD. At this point in time, BOTH paths are viable options to reach that goal. Both are diluted . The U.S. scouts are still in attendance at ECNL events as well If the end goal is NT for your player.

Thanks for the reply shales and gotcha --

I completely agree with you when it comes to number of DA + ECNL teams in each age group ... 21 is far too many. In NTX, we have 3 DA and 5 ECNL, although the ECNL teams at the DA clubs are clearly 2nd tier which really makes for just 5 'Elite' groups. Most of us think that this too many and hope for further consolidation. I realize we don't have the numbers the SoCal has, but perhaps we're able to compete with them because we aren't as spread out talent wise?

And yes -- definitely some clubs that shouldn't have a DA designation. There is talk around here that some clubs will be replaced with more competitive ones to provide more balanced comp very soon. There are also whispers that the big boys here will be letting go of the ECNL to go exclusively DA with the addition of DA2.

While I agree that both ECNL and DA are viable vehicles at the moment to obtain a college soccer scholarship, I believe it will be short lived. I understand that the coaches don't like having to go to more events for logistical reasons, and that for now some of the D1 coaches are still attending ECNL events, but this doesn't change the fact that DA has taken much from ECNL and will continue to do so. There will come a time very soon that those college programs will have to choose which events to attend due to budget restrictions, and if we speculate based on trends, those will be DA events. When you speak to college coaches scouting these DA events and hear them say, "I was disappointed in the level of play at the ECNL event", or "shocked that the DA has already taken so much from the ECNL", it is very telling. And this is especially true when it comes to YNT invites + recruitment. We've been told by our MTC officials that starting in 2018, all U15 and under recruitment will be done via DA scouting.

All in all if your kid is U16 and up at this point, it won't matter, but if younger, DA is going to be the most promising vehicle for her to reach her goals.

 

[shales1002]

Thanks for the reply shales and gotcha --

I completely agree with you when it comes to number of DA + ECNL teams in each age group ... 21 is far too many. In NTX, we have 3 DA and 5 ECNL, although the ECNL teams at the DA clubs are clearly 2nd tier which really makes for just 5 'Elite' groups. Most of us think that this too many and hope for further consolidation. I realize we don't have the numbers the SoCal has, but perhaps we're able to compete with them because we aren't as spread out talent wise?

And yes -- definitely some clubs that shouldn't have a DA designation. There is talk around here that some clubs will be replaced with more competitive ones to provide more balanced comp very soon. There are also whispers that the big boys here will be letting go of the ECNL to go exclusively DA with the addition of DA2.

While I agree that both ECNL and DA are viable vehicles at the moment to obtain a college soccer scholarship, I believe it will be short lived. I understand that the coaches don't like having to go to more events for logistical reasons, and that for now some of the D1 coaches are still attending ECNL events, but this doesn't change the fact that DA has taken much from ECNL and will continue to do so. There will come a time very soon that those college programs will have to choose which events to attend due to budget restrictions, and if we speculate based on trends, those will be DA events. When you speak to college coaches scouting these DA events and hear them say, "I was disappointed in the level of play at the ECNL event", or "shocked that the DA has already taken so much from the ECNL", it is very telling. And this is especially true when it comes to YNT invites + recruitment. We've been told by our MTC officials that starting in 2018, all U15 and under recruitment will be done via DA scouting.

All in all if your kid is U16 and up at this point, it won't matter, but if younger, DA is going to be the most promising vehicle for her to reach her goals.

YNT invites will continue to come from both ECNL and GDA even at U15 as geographically GDA isn't everywhere and some of the best girls are still playing ECNL. Trust me on this one. I believe that's just one of the selling points because Lil Susie is bound for the YNT. I am more realistic in that regard.

The Phoenix ECNL showcase is much stronger in the Spring as during the fall college soccer is still in season. Still, I was impressed about who was on our sideline.

We cannot fault the player for where she takes residence as it probably wasn't her decision to make. Personally, I think we are in for a shift after the end of the first season from both ECNL and GDA. The wait and see folks will make moves or not, and the all-in folks may get a rude awakening. Perhaps their DD isn't getting the time they feel she deserves, the limited substitution rules, perhaps the time commitment is just to much for parents and players. Hell the commute in SoCal is insane. I did it for 30+ years, and it hard going back home and sitting in traffic.

There will always be whispers by the boys. Because they are trying to get the sense of who is doing what. The number of Elite teams in your area is what it should be. Doesn't sound over saturated.

I think both leagues will coexist unfortunately to our players detriment. Personally, it would have been nice for both ECNL and GDA to work together on this. Like teams qualifying for Champions League will play GDA the following year, something along those line. This way you are truly get the best teams and not an entire club.

 

[MakeAPlay]

Fantastic stuff shales! I know this is a couple weeks old but I had to interject --

You mentioned that SoCal is all in on DA ... Is this an argument that you generally believe that ECNL clubs field stronger top sides than those at DA clubs? Would the talent be spread any differently had those clubs in SoCal stuck with ECNL?

While I realize that the ECNL is still thriving here and there, it is already becoming a shell of itself in many prominent regions ... NTX and CO to name a couple. In recent conversations I had with multiple college coaches attending a GDA event, they mentioned how surprised and disappointed they were to see to drop off in level of play at the last ECNL event they attended in Phoenix. They seemed to be amazed at how quickly and how large the bite that GDA had already taken out of the ECNL was --

A trend that we agree will likely continue.

I find this funny since most of the YNT players go to a hand full of schools and most of the 322 D1 soccer playing colleges aren't very good. The bottom 161 understand that they aren't going to be enough top level players to go around and take what fits their needs. Think about it this way. There somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 unique ECNL and GDA clubs. With most having 15 players that are playing enough to generate college offers. That is only 1950 players. Each school needs an average of 7 players per year to maintain their roster at 28 players. That means only 278 of 322 D1 schools would get their 7 players and the rest would get none. This means that over 14% of the pool of players has to come from elsewhere (foreign players, non-GDA/ECNL clubs). It gets even more bleak when you realize that you are probably only getting 1-2 somewhat elite players per million in population per graduating class. That means that nationally there are about 450 kids per grad year that are impact players nationally versus 322 schools. Figure that the best are going to Stanford, UCLA, North Carolina, Duke, Penn St., Notre Dame and Virginia. Cal, Florida St. and $C get second pick. Everybody else gets to fight over the scraps.

I don't see most schools skipping opportunities to pick up good players. One of the two first team All-American's on my players college team only played ECNL her junior and senior year of high school and committed during the summer before her senior year. The schools know that their are hidden gems out there that did not go the normal route due to various regions. Rather than focus on a league or a team I have seen better success focusing on your individual player and a coach that believes in her and helps her improve all aspects of her game.

Good luck to you and your player.

 

[MakeAPlay]

YNT invites will continue to come from both ECNL and GDA even at U15 as geographically GDA isn't everywhere and some of the best girls are still playing ECNL. Trust me on this one. I believe that's just one of the selling points because Lil Susie is bound for the YNT. I am more realistic in that regard.

The Phoenix ECNL showcase is much stronger in the Spring as during the fall college soccer is still in season. Still, I was impressed about who was on our sideline.

We cannot fault the player for where she takes residence as it probably wasn't her decision to make. Personally, I think we are in for a shift after the end of the first season from both ECNL and GDA. The wait and see folks will make moves or not, and the all-in folks may get a rude awakening. Perhaps their DD isn't getting the time they feel she deserves, the limited substitution rules, perhaps the time commitment is just to much for parents and players. Hell the commute in SoCal is insane. I did it for 30+ years, and it hard going back home and sitting in traffic.

There will always be whispers by the boys. Because they are trying to get the sense of who is doing what. The number of Elite teams in your area is what it should be. Doesn't sound over saturated.

I think both leagues will coexist unfortunately to our players detriment. Personally, it would have been nice for both ECNL and GDA to work together on this. Like teams qualifying for Champions League will play GDA the following year, something along those line. This way you are truly get the best teams and not an entire club.

I agree. And colleges recruit players not teams. Focusing on your player like you do will continue to pay dividends...

 

[DT32]

Fantastic stuff shales! I know this is a couple weeks old but I had to interject --

You mentioned that SoCal is all in on DA ... Is this an argument that you generally believe that ECNL clubs field stronger top sides than those at DA clubs? Would the talent be spread any differently had those clubs in SoCal stuck with ECNL?

While I realize that the ECNL is still thriving here and there, it is already becoming a shell of itself in many prominent regions ... NTX and CO to name a couple. In recent conversations I had with multiple college coaches attending a GDA event, they mentioned how surprised and disappointed they were to see to drop off in level of play at the last ECNL event they attended in Phoenix. They seemed to be amazed at how quickly and how large the bite that GDA had already taken out of the ECNL was --

A trend that we agree will likely continue.

I don't fully agree with the statement that the DA will continue to take away from the ECNL. I'm from PA (no clue how I really found this board but it is much more informative than the ones talking soccer on the east coast where it's completely anonymous with constant bickering). The divisions for the DA in our area are significantly weaker than they were last year in the ECNL. The sub rules are also not enjoyable if your kid is not starting every game. I'm sure our club will have no trouble filling the roster spots, but I know the majority of the team is not happy due to blowouts in the divisional games and the sub rules, predominantly. I know the thought process is that this will all change over the course of a few years and DA will be the dominant league, and that will probably happen, but a lot of multi-sport kids, kids who want to play school (either for fun or scholarship to private school), and kids who will not want to dedicate 10 months a year to a team when they play less than half a game (maybe the best case scenario) will definitely lead to dilution of talent. None of this considers that there is no pro path, so the only real goal would be making the YNT, which is ridiculous considering the amount of seriously talented players across the country. The combined age groups have large roster sizes and kids aren't even dressing for games. I have no clue how a roster over 20 can be justified, and then those girls have no clue if they are dressing and even if they dress if they will play, so how can they ask a college coach to come watch them? The goal is college, so all of those kids are leaving to ensure they can be on the field to be seen. It looks to me like the end result will be top players who play the entire game and a significant drop-off in talent for the rest of the team. We'll see if that is how it plays out, but that's how I see it happening.

End of my DA rant

 

[Zen]

I don't fully agree with the statement that the DA will continue to take away from the ECNL. I'm from PA (no clue how I really found this board but it is much more informative than the ones talking soccer on the east coast where it's completely anonymous with constant bickering). The divisions for the DA in our area are significantly weaker than they were last year in the ECNL. The sub rules are also not enjoyable if your kid is not starting every game. I'm sure our club will have no trouble filling the roster spots, but I know the majority of the team is not happy due to blowouts in the divisional games and the sub rules, predominantly. I know the thought process is that this will all change over the course of a few years and DA will be the dominant league, and that will probably happen, but a lot of multi-sport kids, kids who want to play school (either for fun or scholarship to private school), and kids who will not want to dedicate 10 months a year to a team when they play less than half a game (maybe the best case scenario) will definitely lead to dilution of talent. None of this considers that there is no pro path, so the only real goal would be making the YNT, which is ridiculous considering the amount of seriously talented players across the country. The combined age groups have large roster sizes and kids aren't even dressing for games. I have no clue how a roster over 20 can be justified, and then those girls have no clue if they are dressing and even if they dress if they will play, so how can they ask a college coach to come watch them? The goal is college, so all of those kids are leaving to ensure they can be on the field to be seen. It looks to me like the end result will be top players who play the entire game and a significant drop-off in talent for the rest of the team. We'll see if that is how it plays out, but that's how I see it happening.

End of my DA rant

I'm from NorCal and DA doesn't dominate in our region. ECNL league (at least for 04's) is more competitive in our region. I understand that is not the case in other regions. Competition has definitely been diluted. Some DA families want out of DA (for all the reasons mentioned) but stay because they want to stay with their current team.

 

[MarkM]

I'm from NorCal and DA doesn't dominate in our region. ECNL league (at least for 04's) is more competitive in our region. I understand that is not the case in other regions. Competition has definitely been diluted. Some DA families want out of DA (for all the reasons mentioned) but stay because they want to stay with their current team.

Thanks Zen. Insightful. A few questions: The best clubs by record from ECNL's Northwest Division last year all moved to DA (I know that Deanza is neither now). Are those clubs' ECNL teams better than their DA teams? Is the ECNL talent pool better in the Northwest than DA talent pool? Or are there just more evenly matched games in ECNL? Thanks again!

 

[Zen]

Thanks Zen. Insightful. A few questions: The best clubs by record from ECNL's Northwest Division last year all moved to DA (I know that Deanza is neither now). Are those clubs' ECNL teams better than their DA teams? Is the ECNL talent pool better in the Northwest than DA talent pool? Or are there just more evenly matched games in ECNL? Thanks again!

My daughter is an MVLA 04. I only track 04 age group, can't speak across the board. My perspective is based on playing local competition and fall schedule. Yes, competition is very diluted now...so competition is more relative. You see lopsided results in both leagues. I think in Norcal 04 ECNL teams are more evenly matched, based history of playing these teams. SJ EQ (formerly Deanza Force 04 ECNL) is the best 04 GDA team in our area...not sure which GDA team challenges them LOCALLY. I can't speak to all of NW since we haven't played any out of region NW ECNL teams, let alone GDA. It would be great to be able to play GDA teams though...dilution and exclusive leagues is the worse thing about this change.

All the ECNL teams in red text we played in fall - all within ~2 hour drive or less. We traveled to Phoenix for a showcase to play a TX, GA, and SoCal team.
In Spring we have 1 trip to Washington to play 2 league games, rest will be showcases/tournaments team opted into to play out of region competition.

ECNL NW Region (only played local teams in red text in fall league)
MVLA
San Juan SC
Mustang SC
Santa Rosa United
Pleasanton Rage
Davis Legacy
Colorado Storm
Crossfire Premier
Crossfire United
FC Nova
FC Portland
Real Colorado
Utah Avalanche
Washington Premier

In comparison, Earthquakes, the top GDA 04 Norcal team has to travel to Socal or other region for competition. Even when had to fly to Utah for one game, they won 5-0.

GDA NW Region (red text are local teams)
San Jose Earthquakes
California Thorns FC
Burlingame Soccer Club
Lamorinda Soccer Club
Placer United Soccer Club
PSV Union Football Club
Seattle Reign Academy
Portland Thorns FC
Crossfire Premier
La Roca Futbol Club

 

[Chris Knight]

I don't fully agree with the statement that the DA will continue to take away from the ECNL. I'm from PA (no clue how I really found this board but it is much more informative than the ones talking soccer on the east coast where it's completely anonymous with constant bickering). The divisions for the DA in our area are significantly weaker than they were last year in the ECNL. The sub rules are also not enjoyable if your kid is not starting every game. I'm sure our club will have no trouble filling the roster spots, but I know the majority of the team is not happy due to blowouts in the divisional games and the sub rules, predominantly. I know the thought process is that this will all change over the course of a few years and DA will be the dominant league, and that will probably happen, but a lot of multi-sport kids, kids who want to play school (either for fun or scholarship to private school), and kids who will not want to dedicate 10 months a year to a team when they play less than half a game (maybe the best case scenario) will definitely lead to dilution of talent. None of this considers that there is no pro path, so the only real goal would be making the YNT, which is ridiculous considering the amount of seriously talented players across the country. The combined age groups have large roster sizes and kids aren't even dressing for games. I have no clue how a roster over 20 can be justified, and then those girls have no clue if they are dressing and even if they dress if they will play, so how can they ask a college coach to come watch them? The goal is college, so all of those kids are leaving to ensure they can be on the field to be seen. It looks to me like the end result will be top players who play the entire game and a significant drop-off in talent for the rest of the team. We'll see if that is how it plays out, but that's how I see it happening.

End of my DA rant

Some great insight DT32. It's always interesting to hear different viewpoints from across the country --

However, I don't know many that consider the GDA a realistic path to a YNT, rather as a solid path to a college scholarship, just as the ECNL has provided for the past decade. In most areas, the GDA simply took over for ENCL. The majority of clubs across the country with the GDA designation had the ECNL last year and quite a few still have both, with the ECNL teams being the second tier, thus making the level of competition at the top level similar to last year. And I don't think there are many rosters over 20 in GDA. I'm not aware of any in our area of that size ... My kid's team's roster for example is at 16. In fact, the roster sizes are generally higher in the ECNL on average.

 

[davin]

In most areas, the GDA simply took over for ENCL. The majority of clubs across the country with the GDA designation had the ECNL last year and quite a few still have both, with the ECNL teams being the second tier, thus making the level of competition at the top level similar to last year.

One quick look at the 2016 ECNL map shows that this is not even remotely true for most of the country. True that in YOUR area most teams in GDA were ECNL last year, but NOT the entire country overall.
http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com/member-clubs/confernces/2016-2017-ecnl-club-map/