Who's Next In The Revolution Academy Pipeline?

The New England Revolution Academy program garnered several U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) awards this past week, showing how strong the Massachusetts-area talent pipeline is.

From the coaching staff all the way down to each player, the U-14, U-16, and U-18 teams have proven their worth as the Academy program has flourished in recent years. Add in the fact that Diego Fagundez and Scott Caldwell are key first team players and Zachary Herivaux is full of promise, and the Revs Academy program seems increasingly prosperous.

With all of that in mind, let's take a look at which Revs Academy current players and alums have the potential to earn a Homegrown contract in the near future.

1.) Dominik Machado: This Providence College attacker was a big reason why the Friars made it to College Cup last year, surprising college soccer fans throughout the country with their run. He'll enter his junior season next year with eight goals and five assists to his name and is arguably the brightest attacking talent to come out of the Academy since Fagundez.

2.) Mitchell Taintor: Both a midfielder and defender, this six-foot-two Connecticut native has been a key figure at Rutgers University for the last three years. He's also been playing for Real Boston Rams, the Revs' PDL affiliate club, all summer and recently trained with the first team.

3.) Christian Sady: An intelligent left-footed player in the mold of Chris Tierney, Sady is entering his sophomore season at Harvard University this fall. In just 12 games he chipped in two goals and five assists and is poised to grow into a more significant role.

4.) Declan McCabe: This Weston, Mass. native is entering his sophomore season this fall at Georgetown University. He only played in five games last year for the Hoyas, but has youth international experience with the U.S. U-14, U-15, and U-17 national teams.

5.) Willis Griffith: Griffith is a towering center-back who plies his trade at Villanova University. He started every game in his freshman and sophomore campaigns and is primed to do much of the same in the fall.

6.) Peguy Ngatcha: A native of Manchester, N.H., Ngatcha transfered to Wright State University last fall and made a big impact. After scoring seven goals and tallying one assist, he garnered a First Team Horizon League nod.

7.) Austin Aviza: An ever-present for the Revs Academy at the goalkeeper position, Aviza is heading off to Syracuse University in the fall. While not guaranteed playing time, the fact he has trained with Jay Heaps' team last preseason surely helps his case.

8.) Trey Miller: Also a 'keeper, Miller backstopped the U-16 team to the quarterfinal round of the USSDA playoffs this year. He was also voted to 2015's U-16 starting XI.

9.) Izaiah Jennings: While not a household name, Jennings quietly put together an extremely impressive season for the U-16 team. His 12 goals were a team best and he also started in 28 games, the most out of any player on the team.

10.) Justin Rennicks: Rennicks also played for the U-16 team this past year and also gained plenty of attention at higher levels. He earned several call-ups to U.S. youth national teams and even made an appearance with the first team during preseason this past winter in Tuscon.

These above 10 players aren't shoe-ins to feature for the first team in the coming years, but they're some of the most tantalizing prospects for sure. Also, the Revs front office has been particularly selective when signing homegrown players, meaning that earning a contract is no easy accomplishment.

Make sure that you keep on eye on their progression, though, as each has a promising future ahead of them. If there are any players you think we missed out on, leave a comment below.