I-10 Shootout – Lockdown Defenders
It was a busy weekend for girls’ high school soccer in Texas with one the most traditional tournaments, the I-10 Shootout, taking place between Thursday and Saturday in eight high school campuses in the Katy area. Prep Soccer followed some…
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Continue ReadingIt was a busy weekend for girls’ high school soccer in Texas with one the most traditional tournaments, the I-10 Shootout, taking place between Thursday and Saturday in eight high school campuses in the Katy area.
Prep Soccer followed some of the action, watching four matches during the first two days of the event, and seeing eight of the 64 teams – Atascocita, Bridgeland, Cy-Fair, Deer Park, Fort Bend Clements, Friendswood, Lake Highlands and Memorial – make really interesting things on the field.
During this week, we’re navigating through each position and featuring some of the players from these teams that left a really strong impression. Today it’s time we take a look at the strongest defenders from that group.
After developing a strong reputation playing as a forward, Ghonda played in the center of Memorial’s backline at the I-10 Shootout and did an excellent job there. Her pace and athleticism made of her a great fit for her role as, playing in the middle of the team’s back three, she was always in a position to cover the other defenders on the team. Ghonda’s quality on the ball also proved to be an interesting asset for the Mustangs as they displayed a great ability to build from the back. She also made some strong forward runs that disorganized their opponents.
Catherine Cohorn
Catherine Cohorn
Cohorn was another defender to display excellent skills when trying to interrupt plays. Very complete, she gets to impact the game in a variety of ways and is really hard to beat. Cohorn is very strong in the air and thrives with her ability to read plays, but also has good pace and often comes out of nowhere to cover a teammate in the backline. She plays a very reliable game and rarely makes mistakes, even when under pressure, and is very clean on the ball.
Brooke Martin
Brooke Martin
One of just a few freshmen to be a part of Bridgeland’s loaded roster, Martin needed no time to earn a spot in the team and it’s easy to see why. She’s wise beyond her years and plays with a steadiness of a veteran. Her positioning is excellent and she gets several interceptions every match, stopping offensive plays. Martin also plays a big role in the team’s pass-heavy playing style, connecting plays from the back and moving the ball around quickly.
Abigail Scott
Abigail Scott
Scott was one of the centerpieces in her Deer Park team and no one had a more important role than her in the team’s defensive system. Very active, she was everywhere in the backline, winning balls left and right, with her feet or in the air. Scott has a good combination or size and technique and plays hard when needed. She also has a cannon in her right foot and is the team’s main option to take free kicks, which leads her to score some goals as well.
Ella Arenivas Ella Arenivas D TX
Ella Arenivas Ella Arenivas D TX
Arenivas’ presence on the field gives a lot of confidence to her Atascocita teammates about the team’s defensive strength. She has good leadership and is also a very solid defender, to works hard to make plays on defense. Arenivas is really good in 1-v-1 situations, but also excels when she needs to cover one of her teammates. She uses her body well to shield the ball but often beat attackers with her pace as well.