U11 Bloomfield Thunder girls soccer squad earns top-20 state ranking

The U11 Bloomfield Thunder girls soccer players pose for a team photo.

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — The 2013 U11 Bloomfield Thunder girls soccer team is currently ranked No. 17 out of 274 qualifying teams in the state following a first-place finish in the Elite Development Program’s Central Atlantic Premier III Blue division. 

At the beginning of the spring 2024 soccer season, coach John Babula made it a team goal to achieve a top-20 ranking in the state. While there are hundreds of girls U11 soccer teams in New Jersey, only 274 currently qualify for state rankings. 

Paul Drexler, a parent, said, “Early during the spring season, the team was consistently ranked within the top 25 in New Jersey. When I mentioned this to my daughter, she said that was good, but she really wanted to get into the top 20. After winning a competitive league championship this spring by going undefeated, and then winning a thrilling summer kick-off tournament championship, they have done just that.”

The team plays in the EDP league. It is a league that promotes opportunities for players to not only play at the highest levels in New Jersey, but ultimately against the best teams in the nation.

The team now turns its sights on this fall’s New Jersey state cup championship – the ultimate prize for a New jersey team.

Photo Courtesy of Bloomfield Soccer Club