Who was the best of the best?
New England Soccer Journal sought to answer that question for the 2018 NEPSAC boys soccer season, one that ended with three of four No. 1 seeds taking home trophies.
But silverware isn't the only qualifying factor when defining a superb season, and certainly not when assembling our First, Second and Third Best XIs. Rather, a wide array of qualities were considered – production, talent, college commitment, potential, etc. – when penciling in each group.
The three teams, explained in depth below, are all organized in a 4-3-3 formation. Thirteen of the 33 players are from New England and 11 are from another country, reflecting the international impact on prep school soccer. Some top players at each position, particularly the striker group, had to be omitted because there are only so many spots.
