I would say the next step down is NPL but in most cases its a fairly big step.

The MD United B team did win the U15 MD State Cup last year. But there really are only three DA/ECNL options in Maryland, so not as saturated as VA.

This area is so saturated with ECNL/DA teams that even some of them are struggling.

It is rare for the second team of an ECNL/DA club to be any good. In general the first teams of top non ECNL/DA are better than the second teams of ECNL/DA clubs.

Focus on getting your kid a club that offers the best possible training and plays in a league that offers the best possible competition for the level. Don't look for a team that wins everything, those teams aren't challenged so learning peaks. If your kid is the best/worse player on the team then find another team, she needs quality touches under the right competitive level. Everything else doesn't matter. When the kid is hungry for more you feed them more, like small group clinics, ODP, etc. Also, talk to a college coach they are more accessible than people think. The best place to find that kind of information is directly from the source. They can tell you exactly what they do, how, when, etc.