ECNL Houston – Day 2 Standouts
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The ECNL National Event in Houston completed its second day on Sunday, with dozens of matches played at both the Meyer Park and the Burroughs Park locations, north of downtown. Teams from the entire country were on the field and…
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Continue ReadingThe ECNL National Event in Houston completed its second day on Sunday, with dozens of matches played at both the Meyer Park and the Burroughs Park locations, north of downtown.
Teams from the entire country were on the field and there were some exciting battles throughout the day. Prep Soccer was following the action at Meyer Park and, as we recap the day, let’s highlight one top performer from each of the 16 teams we had the chance to watch.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 06 0 – 0 Atlanta Fire United 06
The Riverhounds got their clean sheet thanks to the efforts of several players and among them was Klein. The center back was extremely solid and won most of the duels she was involved with, be it in the air or in the turf. Klein was also important for the team with her ability to hit good passes from the back. The defender was patient to wait for the right moment to attempt a long ball and also made some forward runs herself, displaying an interesting ability to finish plays.
Highlights
Camille Quarterman
Camille Quarterman
Quarterman was very intense on the left side of Atlanta Fire United’s offense and generated some of the team’s best chances in the match. With great pace and ability to dribble, she played very aggressively, trying to beat defenders to get to the end line and make a cross or bring the ball inside to finish. She was also great at making runs off the ball behind the backline and displayed good energy and discipline to track back and help on defense.
Washington Premier 06 1 – 1 Dallas Texans 06
Playing in the midfield for Washington Premier, Mayne was involved with most of the team’s plays. Very intelligent on the ball, she moved around well and displayed good connection with the team’s wider players, approaching them to make plays. Mayne sees the play before everyone else and often plays one-touch passes to accelerate the game. She was very active on both sides of the ball and worked hard to win it back in the middle.
O’Sullivan lined up as a left-back for the Dallas Texans and shut down her side of the backline. Despite her small frame, she played big back there, making several interceptions and anticipating plays. O’Sullivan has good pace too and used it to spring forward and offer an alternative to the team when in possession. She also played an important role when the team tried to build from the back, connecting good passes with her left foot.
FC Dallas 07 2 – 0 SLSG Navy 07
Previously a forward, Lavender displayed she has what it takes to play on the backline too with an excellent showing against SLSG Navy 07. She started in the center of her team’s defense and, although not very tall, won most of the balls she competed for with pace and excellent positioning. Lavender is very physical and puts a lot of pressure on opponents, forcing them back or to make errors. She later switched to right back and displayed some quality on the ball when in possession.
Molly Moissis
Molly Moissis
SLSG Navy 07 had a difficult shift against a strong FC Dallas 07 backline, and on most occasions they were able to create something, Moissis was involved. She played more to the right side of her team’s offense and had relative success because of her excellent vision, which allowed her to make unexpected plays, such as quickly moving the ball to the other side and doing back heel passes.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 07 2 – 0 San Diego Surf 07
Amalia Kubistek
Amalia Kubistek
The Riverhounds’ victory was built from the team’s defensive solidness and Kubistek had a lot to do with it. She not only responded well every time she was called upon, be it be stopping a shot, collecting a cross or getting off the goal to make an interception, but also kept the entire team focused on the game with her non-stop communication from the back. Kubistek displayed an interesting personality and great leadership, especially with her being one of the youngest players in the team.
Playing up top, Stevens displayed an interesting skillset and created some chances almost on her own. She used her size to shield the ball from defenders and did some good holdup play, finding solid passes with her back to the goal and connecting with her teammates. She also played wider during part of the match and showcased good dribbling skills, beating defenders to finish with her left foot.
Richmond United 07 2 – 0 Colorado Rapids 07
A fullback with excellent physical tools, Lozada heavily impacted the game from the left. She was very solid defensively, shutting down every Colorado Rapids’ attempt from that side and very active and productive offensively. Lozano has great pace and is very skilled on the ball and used that to combine with forward Brielle Johnston and create chances on the left. A right-footed left back, she did a great job of bringing the ball inside and generating more space for her to finish or pass.
A very strong defensive player, Beck did what she could to contain Richmond United’s offense, but as they created more from the wings, there wasn’t much more she could have done. She was great at reading plays and getting interceptions and played hard when she had to. Beck was also very strong in possession, hitting long passes with good accuracy and displayed quality when using either feet.
Solar SC 06 3 – 0 Crossfire Premier 06
Playing in midfield, Fuller was everywhere on the field. She covered a lot of ground and was excellent in basically everything she did, from tracking back to win balls deeper to finishing chances around and inside the penalty box. She scored a brace and was very important in the team’s offensive system, combining with forward Audrey Bryant Audrey Bryant null | F Ursuline Academy | 2025 State #74 Nation TX to create chances from the left. Fuller was also very intelligent with her movement, dropping back and finding pockets of space to play.
Highlights
Caroline Studebaker
Caroline Studebaker
Studebaker tried to dominate the game for Crossfire Premier in the middle with her physical play but there were just too many talented players on the opposing side for her to defend. She was fairly successful with her defensive actions, used her body to make stops and was efficient in the air when cutting the few long passes Solar 06 attempted. Studebaker was also clean in possession, connecting good passes.
OK Energy FC 06 0 – 0 SLSG Navy 06
Fults was OK Energy’s most dangerous player in the match. Her team didn’t have much of the ball, but when they did, they would always look for their talented forward to make a difference. With great pace and an excellent ability to get past opponents, she had some dangerous runs through the middle. In one of them, she advanced into the penalty box and even dribbled the goalkeeper, but saw her shot hit the side of the net from a tough spot.
Highlights
Birkel didn’t have to make a lot of saves, despite doing great in a low shot in which she displayed excellent reflexes and range, but was one of the most impressive players in her SLSG team. A side that plays a possession-heavy style of soccer, they got the ball to their goalkeeper quite often and she was excellent with her feet on every occasion, moving it around and helping her team break the press and push forward.
Sting Austin 07 2 – 0 Sporting Iowa 07
Ferrell was the dynamo of her Sting Austin team, dominating the midfield with her intensity and quality on the ball. She combined with Amelia Clark Amelia Clark 5’6″ | M Lake Travis | 2026 State TX to create chances and did great things in possession, such as connecting good passes and finishing from distance. Ferrell, who assisted for the team’s second goal, also worked hard on the defensive side of the ball, fighting for possession in her midfield position. She was also solid in set pieces.
Highlights
Olivia Kroska
Olivia Kroska
Kroska was Sporting Iowa’s most important midfield player but, despite her solid performance, her team couldn’t win the battle in the center of the field. She played a dynamic two-way role for them, winning balls back with her good positioning and connecting intelligent passes when in possession. When the team was struggling, Kroska also dropped back to help it build out of the back.