Dakota with the ball

Dakota Merino

Commitment Status: Committed

Country: United States

Gender: Female

GPA: 3.6

Height: 5'8"

Graduation Year: 2023

Dakotamerino@icloud.com

Club Team(s):

La Roca - ECNL

Primary Position: Center back

Secondary Position: Outside back

Dakota Merino 5'8 Defender from La Roca ECNL 05 team

High School(s):

Syracuse High

About

Dakota Merino is a 5’8 athletic smart defender on the La Roca ECNL 04 & 05 team. She is fast and athletic, strong in the air, reads the game well and has solid 1 vs 1 defensive footwork. She is a regular starter for her ECNL team and can play anywhere on the backline for them and occasionally at defensive center mid. She has a strong leg for crosses and set pieces she regularly takes for her team. She plays a full year up on the 04 team and still is a starter, and then plays some showcases as well for the 05’s such as the Phoenix one this month.

Dakota is most impactful at center back, where she can lead and organize the back line. She also plays regularly for La Roca at outside back as well. In high school, she was honored as an All-State center back for Syracuse high after leading the team to the state semifinals where they tied in the game, but didn’t advance to the 6A state championships after being eliminated in a shootout.

Academically she carries a 3.6 GPA and wants to pursue a degree in psychology. Her team is coached by Pancho Ovalle who can be reached at: pancho.ovalle@larocafc.com