North Texas Girls: Best of The Class of 2025 (6A)

Dallas, Texas: The class of 2025 is one of the strongest and most talented classes in recent memory. There was an unusually large number of freshman who made names for themselves during the 2021-22 season by picking up all-state, all-region, and all-district honors. This group of young ladies displayed an impressive amount of skill and ability last season as freshman. Now that they've had an offseason to work on their craft, the expectations are even higher for this elite group of sophomores for the upcoming season. This article will name the 2022-23 sophomore XI, and look at some of the best of the best from the class of 2025 Girls (6A Region1)   Goal Keepers   The class of 2025's best goal keepers includes [player_tooltip player_id='27140' first='Olivia' last='Geller'], who is coming off a stellar 2021-22 season where she won a state championship with Southlake Carroll and was named to the 2nd All-State Team. Geller is a tall and athletic keeper who can keep her side in games with her shot-saving abilities, earning herself a USYNT call up. The second keeper of the class of 2025 is McKinney Boyd's [player_tooltip player_id='27238' first='Shelby' last='Henderson'], who was named to the 1st All-Region Team in 2021-22. Shelby plays the position with a fearlessness that makes her great at 1v1's and coming off her line. Combine that with her fantastic hands, and you have yourself a very formidable keeper.   Oliva Geller – Southlake – 2nd team All-State   [player_tooltip player_id='27238' first='Shelby' last='Henderson'] – McKinney Boyd – 1st team All-Region   Forwards   The forwards for this year's sophomore class all possess qualities as players that have landed them on this list. [player_tooltip player_id='26516' first='Ava' last='McDonald'], who was the co-offensive newcomer of the year in district 4 for Allen, is a very fast forward who causes problems for defenders with her speed and penetrating runs. She has a keen ability to get herself into scoring positions, giving her the top spot in the class of 2025 forwards. [player_tooltip player_id='26783' first='Holly' last='Storer'] is a true goal-scoring striker who has an impressive ability to finish in a variety of ways: she can score off crosses, from distance, on through balls, and can beat defenders to get shots off with either foot. Alicen Nguyen and Zoe Matthews are also serious attacking threats who both have the skill and vision to create chances for themselves.   [player_tooltip player_id='26516' first='Ava' last='McDonald'] – Allen - 1st team All-region   Alicen Nguyen - L.D. Bell (Hurst) – 1st team All-District (3)   Zoe Matthews - Southlake Carroll - Co-offensive newcomer of the year (District 4)   [player_tooltip player_id='26783' first='Holly' last='Storer'] - Keller - Co-offensive newcomer of the year (District 4)   Midfielders   The class of 2025 is very deep with talented midfielders. [player_tooltip player_id='26768' first='Hannah' last='Jordan'] is coming off of a state championship plus a 2nd Team All-State award-winning season at Southlake Carroll, and is already considered one of the best midfielders in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='26834' first='Jordyn' last='Hardeman'] was 1st Team All-Region and the district MVP last season at Prosper Rock-Hill. Prosper Rock-Hill is moving from 5A up to a very tough 6A district (5) for the 2022-23 season. That task will be even more challenging as Hardeman will not be playing high school soccer this season. Coppell has a pair of 1st -Team All-District midfielders, [player_tooltip player_id='27279' first='Tabitha' last='Sine'] and [player_tooltip player_id='27266' first='Summer' last='Chen'], who are both very good distributors that can control the tempo of the game. Sine has elected not to play High School soccer this season. Ana Cedeno was district 7's Midfielder of the year for good reason, and is one of the best when it comes to creating chances for her teammates and picking out the right passes in the final third, allowing her to tally an impressive number of assists and goals in 2021-22. Payton Cooper's athleticism and speed earned her 1st Team All-District and newcomer of the year awards for district 6 in 2021-22 at Plano East. [player_tooltip player_id='27119' first='Nadia' last='Ortiz'] is an attacking midfielder who is great going forward and starting counter attacks. Nadia was rightly named t0 the 1st Team All-District last year at Byron Nelson. Meg Walsh from McKinney Boyd has made the 2025 best midfielders list due to her good vision and skill on the ball.   [player_tooltip player_id='26768' first='Hannah' last='Jordan'] – Southlake – 2nd team All-state   [player_tooltip player_id='27266' first='Summer' last='Chen'] – Coppell - 1st team All-District (6)   Payton Cooper – Plano East – 1st team All-District (6) &amp; co-newcomer of the year   Ana Cedeno- Irving MacArthur –Midfielder of the year (District 7)   [player_tooltip player_id='27119' first='Nadia' last='Ortiz'] – Byron Nelson –1st team All-District (4)   Meg Walsh – McKinney Boyd –1st team All-District (5)   Defenders   The 2022-23 top sophomore defenders feature a pair of state champion backs from Southlake, [player_tooltip player_id='33383' first='Abigail' last='Mills'] and [player_tooltip player_id='27158' first='Parker' last='Wilkerson'], who are both lock down defenders and earned themselves 1st Team All-District awards as freshman. Keller Central's Denver Barnes was the district 4 defensive newcomer of the year last year due to her impressive athleticism, tackling, and marking abilities. [player_tooltip player_id='26670' first='Emerson' last='Garcia'] is a quick and a very smart outside back who has an impressive high soccer IQ. Her incredibly high work rate and fitness level grants her the ability to get up and down the pitch quickly, and makes her a threat to go forward and join the attack from the wings. She was named to the 2nd Team All-District (district 5) last year for the Denton Guyer Wildcats, and is a player we are expecting a lot out of in 2022-23.   [player_tooltip player_id='26670' first='Emerson' last='Garcia'] – Denton Guyer –2nd team All-District (5)   Denver Barnes - Keller Central –Defensive newcomer of the year (District 4)   [player_tooltip player_id='33383' first='Abigail' last='Mills'] – Southlake – 1st Team All-District (4)   [player_tooltip player_id='27158' first='Parker' last='Wilkerson'] – Southlake – 1st Team All-District (4)     Class of 2025 Starting XI   Goal Keeper - Oliva Geller - Southlake   Defender – Denver Barnes - Keller Central   Defender - [player_tooltip player_id='33383' first='Abigail' last='Mills'] - Southlake   Defender - [player_tooltip player_id='27158' first='Parker' last='Wilkerson'] - Southlake   Defender - Emmerson Garcia - Denton Guyer   Midfielder - [player_tooltip player_id='26768' first='Hannah' last='Jordan'] - Southlake   Midfielder - [player_tooltip player_id='27266' first='Summer' last='Chen'] - Coppell   Midfielder - [player_tooltip player_id='27119' first='Nadia' last='Ortiz'] - Byron Nelson   Midfielder - Sofia Ana Cedeno - Irving MacArthur   Forward - [player_tooltip player_id='26516' first='Ava' last='McDonald'] - Allen   Forward - [player_tooltip player_id='26783' first='Holly' last='Storer'] - Keller     {Update: Two players initally in the Best XI have decided not to play High School soccer this season. They've been replaced.)