Texas HS Girls – Fulshear vs. Foster
The high school season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and thousands of teams are getting on the field each week to compete for the much-coveted spots in the playoffs. Prep Soccer will be following the…
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Continue ReadingThe high school season is going at full pace in the state of Texas and thousands of teams are getting on the field each week to compete for the much-coveted spots in the playoffs.
Prep Soccer will be following the action closely, covering as many matches as possible every week and providing reports featuring the players that had remarkable performances in those encounters. On Wednesday, the duel between the Fulshear Chargers and the Foster Lady Falcons in Fulshear was the one that caught out attention.
Fulshear 1 – 3 Foster
There was a lot at stake in the match as the two teams entered the field as the only undefeated sides in the UIL Division 5A – Region 3, District 20 with six wins tied at the top of the standings and the rivalry atmosphere could be easily felt by anyone at the stadium.
Although they were the visitors, the Lady Falcons started the match on the front foot and quickly for their first goal of the night with senior forward Kylie Reddell firing a beautiful shot in the low corner in the first minutes of action. Sophomore defender Kaleigh Lazenby doubled Foster’s lead before the halftime break with a long free kick that Fulshear’s sophomore goalkeeper Safiya Binsilim couldn’t stop.
The Chargers made some adjustments during the halftime break and posed more of a challenge to Foster in the second half, but the Lady Falcons benefited from an excellent counter-attack facilitated by Reddell to score the third with junior forward Addison Zebold Addison Zebold M TX .
The home team got on the board when Foster’s senior goalkeeper Alex Adame fouled Fulshear’s senior midfielder Aymee Membreno inside the penalty box with ten minutes on the clock. Junior defender Lauren Pellentier converted the penalty kick, but the Chargers couldn’t score again before the final whistle.
Players of the Match
Kylie Reddell
Kylie Reddell
Reddell was involved with of Foster’s goals, scoring the first one and assisting to the third, and challenged Fulshear’s backline all night. Playing more to the left of Foster’s attack, she was great at making runs and combining with her teammates. She displayed excellent finishing skills to score the team’s opening goal and great vision to assist Zebold in the third. A Texas A&M commit, Reddell also played an important role in pressuring Fulshear’s defenders when they tried to build from the back and generated a handful of turnovers.
Hannah Bolin
Hannah Bolin
Bolin should have left the field with at least one goal to her name, but the fact that she couldn’t find the back of the net doesn’t take anything from her excellent performance. The talented midfielder was the hub of Foster’s offense, dictating the team’s rhythm and making great plays in the attacking third. A Sam Houston State commit, Bolin is very confident on the ball and displayed a well-diversified offensive game, dribbling in tight spaces, finding excellent passes and finishing from distance very well. She hit the post twice (once in a beautiful direct corner kick attempt) and had several other dangerous opportunities.
Kaleigh Lazenby
Kaleigh Lazenby
Lazenby was a rock in Foster’s defense. Playing in the center of the team’s backline, she was dominant, shutting down Fulshear’s attempts with her excellent positioning and strong tackles. Lazenby also has good size and was able to intercept several long passes made by the Chargers. She was also very calm on the ball, connecting good passes to her teammates, and create some goalscoring opportunities with her incredible shots from distance in set pieces. Lazenby hit one in the crossbar only to score a few minutes later.
Addison Zebold Addison Zebold M TX
Addison Zebold Addison Zebold M TX
A junior, Zebold formed an excellent attacking pair with Reddell. Positioned more to the right, she created a lot of chances using her pace and dribbling ability. Zebold is really difficult to defend because she uses both feet really well and makes some really turns to get away from defenders. She also offers great passing opportunities to her teammates as she can get the ball at her feet or in space to beat opponents with her pace. She displayed calm in front of the goal to score the team’s third goal.
Lauren Pellentier
Lauren Pellentier
Fulshear’s backline was under a lot of pressure all night and, all things considered, they did a decent job against a talented Foster offense. Pellentier was at the heart of it, facing opposing attackers alongside fellow center back Erin Skeen. She won some and lost some, but, most importantly, didn’t make any major mistakes. Pellentier also fired a dangerous free kick shot in the first half and scored the Charger’s lone goal of the night by taking the penalty kick with power and precision.
Safiya Binsilim
Safiya Binsilim
She might have conceded three goals, but it’s fair to say the match could have been a lot more complicated for Fulshear if Binsilim wasn’t on a good night. The goalkeeper could have done better in Foster’s second goal as Lazenby’s shot came from way too far, but she made numerous big saves throughout the 80 minutes of play that kept the Chargers alive. If Fulshear had something to fight for in the final ten minutes, Binsilim deserves a lot of credit for it as she was constantly under pressure.