GECU

EL PASO, Texas (December 10, 2024) – Five El Paso Locomotive FC Academy teams competed in their first away matches in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) in Salt Lake City over the weekend, with the young Locos posting an overall record of 6-2-0.   

“This was our first ever away league gameday in the ECNL and our first trip to the state of Utah,” Locomotive Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “Needless to say, it was a completely new environment, completely new field conditions and completely new styles of play from our opponents, but our teams showed up extremely well and finished net positive in results. However, the ECNL experience was the most valuable takeaway from the trip. Great fields, great opponents and competitive games are what we need week-to-week. The Utah weekend was a great start to our ECNL run and we are looking forward to continue our journey towards reaching the playoffs with multiple teams in 2025.” 

U13 (2012) Academy Results 

Record 0-0-2, -3 GD 

Game #1 vs Utah Avalanche – 0-2 L  
Game #2 vs La Roca – 0-1 L 

U14 (2011) Academy Results  

Record 2-0-0, +4 GD 

Game #1 vs Utah Avalanche – 3-0 W 
Game #2 vs La Roca – 1-0 W 

U15 (2010) Academy Results  

Record 2-0-0, +4 GD 

Game #1 vs Utah Avalanche – 2-1 W 
Game #2 vs La Roca – 3-0 W 

U16 (2009) Academy Results  

Record 2-0-0, +3 GD 

Game #1 vs Utah Avalanche – 1-0 W 
Game #2 vs La Roca – 3-1 W 

U17 (2008) Academy Results  

Record 0-0-2, -4 GD 

Game #1 vs Utah Avalanche – 0-2 L 
Game #2 vs La Roca – 0-2 L 

About the El Paso Locomotive FC Academy 

Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.  

In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer. 

About ECNL  

Founded in 2009 and sanctioned by US Club Soccer, the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) is highly regarded for its top-level national competition, player development and college recruitment track record. As a result of grassroots collaboration and innovation driven by youth soccer leaders all around the country, the ECNL quickly rose to national prominence – and ultimately to be the top level of competition and player development in the country. Each step was fueled by a shared commitment to elevating the youth soccer experience. To learn more, visit theecnl.com.  

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“Youth Soccer on the Road” is presented by GECU.

EL PASO, Texas (December 10, 2024) – El Paso Locomotive FC’s USL Academy U-20 team wrapped up another milestone weekend after competing at the 2024 USL Academy Finals, the second consecutive time the young Locos clinched an appearance at the national tournament.  

Qualifying for the tournament because of their impressive season in the USL Academy’s Cactus Division in which they ended the season with a 7-2-1 record, the Academy Locos were drawn to face AC Connecticut in the Round of 16. The Locos would find a way back into their match after going down early on, but Connecticut would find the back of the net once more in the second half and hold on to their lead to advance to the next round.  

“Though it was unfortunate to fall in the first round to AC Connecticut, who would go on to be tournament finalists, our Locomotive boys showed great quality throughout the week,” Locomotive Academy Director and USL Academy U-20 Head Coach Ivan Militar said. “I am proud of our performance, and we are very happy that we had the chance to represent our Cub and colors on a national stage once again. This group had a tremendous run in the USL Academy League this year and we are looking forward to repeating this in 2025.” 

Following the loss to Connecticut, Locomotive would move on to the showcase phase in the next couple of days. Locomotive would go up against some of the country’s top youth teams including rivals San Antonio FC and FC Motown, as well as the LFE All-Stars, a team made up of youth players from several English clubs including the Premier League. The Locos would post a 1-1-1 record in the showcase round. 

“We had some highlight moments and showed that our Academy is one of the best USL Academies in this country,” Militar said. “We were one of the youngest squads at the tournament, but the boys did not let that to be an excuse. We played against older opponents and competed head-to-head with them. I could not be prouder of our group for how they came out to perform.” 

Following the tournament, two Locomotive players earned nods to the USL Academy Finals All-Tournament teams. Midfielder Damian Perez was named to the All-Tournament First Team and defender Kenneth Hoban – who was announced on Monday as the club’s youngest ever professional signing – earned a spot on the All-Tournament Second Team.

USL Academy U-20 Results 

Tournament 
Round of 16 vs AC Connecticut – 2-1 L 

Showcase 
Game #1 vs FC Motown – 3-0 W 
Game #2 vs LFE All-Stars – 0-0 D 
Game #3 vs San Antonio FC – 4-3 L 

About the El Paso Locomotive FC Academy 

Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.  

In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer. 

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“Youth Soccer on the Road” is presented by GECU.

EL PASO, Texas (November 19, 2024) – The El Paso Locomotive FC Academy once again demonstrated why it is one of the strongest academies in the Southwest, putting up dominant and impressive results at the ECNL Showcase in Phoenix over the past weekend.  

The young Locos had the chance to demonstrate their skills and talent to scouts from 130 different colleges and universities, a significant opportunity to continue the establishing the pipeline to higher education by helping Locomotive Academy players acquire scholarships to further their athletic and academic careers.  

“I cannot emphasize how big, exciting and impactful these events are for our program and players,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “The teams had a fantastic display and everyone played meaningful minutes as we met our developmental priorities and came out to win. As we move forward in ECNL, there is no doubt that eyes are now on us. Winning our conference and making playoffs is our priority as we aim to help our programs continue to grow and improve.” 

The Academy had four teams travel to the showcase: the U19s, U17s, U16s and U15s. The Locos combined for 12 matches played and recorded eight wins, three draws and one loss.  

The U19 squad posted a perfect 3-0-0 record, conceding no goals while scoring eight to win its group.  

See the full list of Locomotive Academy’s ECNL Phoenix results below.  

U19 (2006) Academy Results  

Record 3-0-0, +8 GD 

Game #1 vs RISE SC – 2-0 W  
Game #2 vs MVLA – 2-0 W  
Game #3 vs Santa Rosa United – 4-0 W  

U17 (2008) Academy Results  

Record 1-0-2, +1 GD 

Game #1 vs Germantown Legends – 1-1 D 
Game #2 vs Westside Metros – 1-0 W  
Game #3 vs Rebels SC – 1-1 D  

U16 (2009) Academy Results  

Record 2-0-1, +5 GD 

Game #1 vs Lobos Rush – 4-1 W  
Game #2 vs Rebels SC – 2-0 W  
Game #3 vs San Juan SC – 1-1 D  

U15 (2010) Academy Results  

Record 2-1-0, 0 GD 

Game #1 vs COSC – 2-0 W  
Game #2 vs San Francisco Elite – 2-1 W  
Game #3 vs Sporting California – 0-3 L 

About the El Paso Locomotive FC Academy 

Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.  

In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer. 

About ECNL  

Founded in 2009 and sanctioned by US Club Soccer, the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) is highly regarded for its top-level national competition, player development and college recruitment track record. As a result of grassroots collaboration and innovation driven by youth soccer leaders all around the country, the ECNL quickly rose to national prominence – and ultimately to be the top level of competition and player development in the country. Each step was fueled by a shared commitment to elevating the youth soccer experience. To learn more, visit theecnl.com.  

EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC’s U-20 team opened its 2024 USL Academy season in strong fashion, beating rivals New Mexico United 2-1 on the road last Saturday, marking the first time that the Locos beat New Mexico in the competition since joining the league in 2021.  

 
“We wanted this win more than anything and the entire community of our U20 team is extremely proud,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “With this win, we start our 2024 campaign on the right foot and are ready for the next set of games!” 

After going down 1-0 in the first half, the young Locos rallied back thanks to big goals from Luis Moreno and Alex Estrada. It’s a positive first step in a long journey towards clinching a second consecutive trip to the USL Academy League Finals, which the Locos managed to for the first time last season.  

• Read about the Locos first ever trip to the USL Academy League Finals. 

The U-20’s will be back on the road for their next league match on Friday, May 31 at Arizona Arsenal SC in Phoenix.  

ABOUT THE LOCOMOTIVE ACADEMY  

Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.   

In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer. 

EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC’s U16 Boys team made history earlier this month when it lifted the trophy at the 2023/24 US Youth Soccer National League P.R.O event in Oceanside, California. With the result, the young Locos clinched a historic berth in the USYS National Championships, which will be held in Orlando, Florida this July.   

Led by Coach Marc Roach, the U16 team will be the first ever Locomotive Academy team to compete in the National Championships, one of the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournaments, providing approximately 185,000 players on over 10,000 teams from US Youth Soccer State Associations the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills against the best competition in the nation while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and fair play. 

“We are very excited to have punched our ticket to the National Championships and make history for our club,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “The U16 team has a core group of players that have been with Locomotive Academy since its inception, so I am especially thrilled for those players and their families. It is a fantastic group that has come a long way to become a true force in competitiveness, talent and effort. 

Roach led this team all year with humbleness, a strong sense of discipline and a lot of love. The entire community of the U16 team deserves this success and we could not be prouder.” 

The U16s went on an incredible run in the P.R.O competition, dominating opponents in play and outscoring them on their undefeated path to 2024 National Championships. See results below.  

RESULTS 

El Paso Locomotive FC 3-0 win vs AC Brea (Round 1) 
El Paso Locomotive FC 2-0 win vs CDA Slammers (Quarterfinal) 
El Paso Locomotive FC 5-1 win vs Matrix Mavens (Semifinal) 
El Paso Locomotive FC 3-0 win vs Aspire FC (Final) 

ABOUT THE 2024 USYS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS  

The 2024 USYS National Championships, presented by New York Life, will be held at the famous ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida between July 23-28. For more information about this year’s Championships, click here.  

ABOUT USYS NATIONAL LEAGUE P.R.O 

National League P.R.O. features the top-finishing teams from both the Elite 64 Playoffs and the Conference Playoffs — bringing together the best teams within the National League from both club-based and team-based formats. Each qualifying team plays at one of the two National League P.R.O. events. 

The National League P.R.O. events hold competitions for boys and girls teams in the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U age groups. 

For more information about P.R.O and the USYS National League pathway and structure, click here.  

ABOUT THE LOCOMOTIVE ACADEMY  

Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.   

In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer. 

EL PASO, Texas – Over the last season, El Paso Locomotive FC’s fully funded U-20 Academy team has committed to giving back to the local community with acts of service.  

As a team that proudly represents El Paso when competing at tournaments of every level, from national to local, the Locomotive Academy U-20 strives to give back to the city that has raised them and supported their young athletic careers.  

So far, the team has packaged food at the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank, cleaned up trash at Keystone Heritage & Desert Botanical Park and walked dogs for El Paso Animal Services. Additionally, the players have helped coach Lil’ Locos camps, training the next generation of El Paso soccer players.  

As the Locos prepare for their inaugural season in the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), they remain dedicated to doing their part as active citizens and giving back. The Locomotive Academy will look to continue their service as the year progresses and aims to make as big of an impact it can for El Paso, wherever they go.  

ADDITIONAL INFO  

El Paso Locomotive FC Academy will host an ID Camp for its fully funded U-20 team on Wednesday, May 22. For more information on registration and location, click here.  

ABOUT THE LOCOMOTIVE ACADEMY  

Founded in 2020, the Locomotive Academy was created to provide unrivaled competitive opportunities for youth players in the Borderplex region. The Academy fields seven teams between 13-19, including a fully funded U-20 USL Academy program, and competes in three youth leagues: the Elite Club National League (ECNL), USL Academy League and the El Paso Premier League (EPPL). Through its league competitions and participation at various tournaments and showcases throughout the year, the Academy strives to provide players with direct exposure to numerous college and scouts while playing against some of the strongest youth teams in the country.   

In addition to working with numerous colleges across the country, the Academy also grants players a pathway to train and play alongside the Locomotive senior team, giving the young athletes an opportunity to learn and develop alongside professional athletes and coaches through USL Academy contracts, the only youth soccer organization in El Paso to offer such opportunities. To learn more about the Locomotive Academy, head to eplocomotivefc.com/youth-soccer.  

EL PASO, Texas – El Paso Locomotive FC Academy was well represented at the ECNL Texas Showcase in Austin over the weekend, the first ECNL event that the Locomotive Academy participated in since joining for the 2024/25 season.

The Locomotive Academy U16’s, U17’s and U20’s arrived at the showcase to compete against some of the best youth teams across the Southwest and combined for four wins, four losses and one draw.

“The Locomotive Academy’s introduction to ECNL was a solid start, providing us with results and information on where we stand amidst top-level competition,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “We were able to identify numerous strengths and what things we can work on in the near future. Overall, the ECNL Showcase gave us a glimpse of our very competitive future. ECNL will be a great challenge for us that we will face head-on as we aim to grow and improve.”

Founded in 2009 and sanctioned by US Club Soccer, the ECNL is highly regarded for its top-level national competition, player development and college recruitment track record. 

Locomotive will become a member of the Mountain Conference when it enters ECNL later this year. By joining the ECNL, the Locomotive Academy is confident the competition it will face will increase significantly, challenging players as they look to develop to their fullest potential. In addition to the several national showcases organized around the country every year, the Academy is determined to navigate teams toward the highest level of success in league play ahead of Locomotive’s inaugural season in the ECNL this fall.

EL PASO, Texas (April 2, 2024) – All of last week, El Paso Locomotive FC Academy competed against the strongest youth teams in the nation across the Dallas metro at the 2024 Dallas Cup, which saw the U20 side reach the championship game played at FC Dallas’ Toyota Stadium to become the first El Paso team to reach the final.  

“We come to the Dallas Cup for two reasons: to measure ourselves alongside the best youth soccer teams in the country and to further develop our players, teams and coaches through top-level experiences,” Academy Director Ivan Militar said. “I believe the 2024 Dallas Cup showed us that we can compete toe-to-toe with the best. Across the board, we did well when it came to style of play and results and overall, I believe it was a tremendous experience for our young athletes. 

“All of our teams, especially our U20s, showed absolute commitment, heart, and passion for our Club, community, and city of El Paso. It breaks our hearts to have fallen to penalty shootout in the championship match, but the loss does not take anything away from the boys who made history as the first ever El Paso team that reached a Dallas Cup final. This week will stay in our memories forever and we will always remember these guys as one of the best teams El Paso has ever seen.” 

From the opening ceremony and the opponents from across the continent they got to face plus getting the opportunity to attend the Concacaf Nations League Final between the United States and Mexico at AT&T Stadium, the overall tournament experience provided Locomotive athletes with an unforgettable experience they’ll carry with them forever, memories that the Locomotive Academy strives to create in its effort to be the top youth program in the Borderplex region.   

2024 Dallas Cup Results 

U13 – 1-2-0, 3^rd Place Group Finish 
0-3 vs Solar Academy ECNL  
2-1 vs ID The ACDMY  
1-2 vs Global Sporting 

U15 – 2-1-0, 2^nd‘ Place Group Finish 
6-1 vs Oakville Wild  
2-3 vs BVB Dallas ECNL  
2-0 Sporting Arkansas 

U16 – 0-1-2, 3^rd Place Group Finish 
1-1 vs FC Dynastia (Mexico) 
2-3 vs Solar Academy ECNL  
1-1 vs Miami Breakers 

U20 – 2-0-1, 1^st Place Group Finish 
4-4 vs BVB Dallas ECNL 
3-0 vs Prepa Tec MTY (Mexico) 
3-0 vs Cap City MLS Next 
PLAYOFF ROUNDS  
1-0 vs FC Dallas ECNL Red (Quarterfinal) 
2-1 vs Dallas Hornets MLS Next (Semifinal) 
0-0 (4-5 penalties) vs Dallas Texans ECNL (Final)