When the 2016 NCAA Tournament kicks off today with 16 first round matches, there will be plenty of players with ties to the Philadelphia Union Academy and the greater Philadelphia region to keep an eye out for.
Rosters for the 48 teams in the Big Dance include 19 players who played in the Philadelphia Union Academy from 2013-2015 and nearly 50 players with ties to southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and South Jersey.
Here’s a list of key players to watch:
F: Sebastian Elney, So., Maryland*
Elney’s numbers have dropped this season (3 goals, 4 assists) with the addition of Gordon Wild, but he scored the game-winning goal in the Big 10 Championship over the weekend and his holdup play will be key for top-seeded Maryland to pull off an unbeaten national championship season.