Mark McKenzie & Brenden Aaronson make Development Academy Best XIs

A trio of Philadelphia Union Academy representatives were honored at the U.S. Soccer Development Academy awards banquet in Carson, California on Thursday night.

Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie were both named to Best XIs for the East Conference in their respective age groups and U13 head coach Kevin Coleman was the East Conference coach of the year at the U13 level.

A central defender, McKenzie starred for the U18s and was a regular with Bethehem Steel FC and the United States U18 team. In fact, his time with Steel FC – he’s made six appearances for them this season – limited his appearances in the DA to just nine games and eight starts for the season. The 18-year-old Bear, Delaware native has already reported to Wake Forest, where he is preparing for his first season in college.

Aaronson, a 16-year-old attacking midfielder from Medford, N.J. was named to the U16 Best XI. He scored seven goals in 23 games and 20 starts for the U16 team this season and also made five appearances and four starts for the U18s after making his U18 debut against Continental FC in March.

Coleman, a former Villanova, La Salle and Continental FC coach, led the U13 team to a 16-4-4 record in its first season in the Development Academy.

Click here to see the complete list of award winners.