Texas HS Girls Playoffs – Preview – Stratford vs. Tompkins
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The playoff field is getting narrower every day in the state of Texas as the UIL postseason continues to progress at full pace all around the Lone Star State. After the conclusion of the area round earlier this week, it’s…
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Continue ReadingThe playoff field is getting narrower every day in the state of Texas as the UIL postseason continues to progress at full pace all around the Lone Star State. After the conclusion of the area round earlier this week, it’s time for the regional quarterfinals, with matches being held on Thursday and Friday in all divisions and regions.
Prep Soccer’s coverage of the high school season also continues this week and, with some exciting matches set to happen over the next few days in the Houston area, we’ll preview a few of them, featuring the teams and some of the top prospects involved in each duel.
Stratford vs. Tompkins – Region 3
Friday, March 31 – 7:00 PM – Tully Stadium (Houston)
The Stratford Spartans from Houston were flawless during district play, winning district 17 in the UIL 6A Division with a campaign of 14 victories. The team has 18 wins, four losses and three ties for the season. The Spartans have been dominant in the postseason too, beating Northbrook 9-0 in the bi-district round and topping Fort Bend Elkins 5-0 in the area round.
The Tompkins Lady Falcons from Katy were the second-best team in district 19 with 13 wins, one loss and two ties. They also have a strong record of 19-3-3 for the season. The Lady Falcons have been displaying a strong offense in the playoffs, topping Fort Bend Clements 5-2 in the bi-district round and beating Lamar 4-2 in the area round.
Players to Watch – Stratford
Lizzie Emerson
Lizzie Emerson
Emerson has a key role with Stratford, playing in the base of their three-player midfield. She provides the protection the team’s backline needs while also being very involved in the Spartans’ buildup. Emerson is very active defensively, cutting a lot of passing lines and timing her tackles very well to win the ball back. She’s also very smart and complete in possession, knowing exactly when to circulate the ball and when to push it forward with runs and how to do each of these actions with great efficiency.
Mary Paul
Mary Paul
Many of Stratford’s goalscoring opportunities are generated from the talented left foot of Mary ‘MC’ Paul. Very dynamic, she gets on the ball a lot in her central position and dictates the team’s offensive rhythm with her efficient play. Paul is above anything a very intelligent player, who makes good decisions and makes things easier for her and her teammates. She can create from deeper areas of the field but is also dangerous when making runs off the ball into the penalty box. Paul covers a lot of ground defensively too and helps the team regain possession quite often.
Allison Goodwin Allison Goodwin F Stratford | 2025 #233 Nation TX
Allison Goodwin Allison Goodwin F Stratford | 2025 #233 Nation TX
Goodwin’s smart and frequent movement in the final third is one of Stratford’s main tools to create changes. She’s at her best when playing on the right, where she uses her pace and dribbling ability to beat opposing defenders. Goodwin is very difficult to stop because she can do it all on the flank, bringing the ball inside to make finishes or going to the end line to create for her teammates. She’s typically very direct in the attacking field and also plays an important role by pressuring opposing defenders when off the ball.
Players to Watch – Tompkins
Gabriela Vazquez
Gabriela Vazquez
A senior, Vazquez is an excellent shot-stopper. She has tremendous reflexes and is very quick to get to the ground, which helps her a lot when dealing with short-distance finishes. Her decision-making is always on point too as, when facing an attacker coming right at her, Vazquez typically makes the right choice between maintaining her position or moving forward and, when she does move, she does it at the exact right time. A William Peace University commit, the goalkeeper is also solid with her feet and can get the team out of pressure at times. She had 14 shutouts this season and recently reach 50 in her high school career.
Kayla Boven Kayla Boven F TX
Kayla Boven Kayla Boven F TX
A Trinity University commit, Boven is a talented and versatile player, who is at her best when playing wide. She can be used as an outside back or in a more advanced role at the wing and, from either position, she will deliver great production and consistency. Her quality on the ball is really impressive, as she can dribble in tight spaces, uses both of her feet well and is extremely accurate with her crosses. When playing on the wing, Boven is also a goalscoring threat because of her ability to get into good spots inside the penalty box when the play is created on the opposite side.
One of the most talented freshmen to come up this year in the state of Texas, Coombs is an offensive force for the Lady Falcons. She plays in a central role for the team, but drops a little deeper to get on the ball and is nearly unstoppable when dribbling the ball through the middle because of her ability to keep it close to her foot and make moves in a split second. Coombs also makes very good runs off the ball inside the penalty box and gets into great positions to score. She can finish from anywhere and is incredibly accurate when shooting with her left foot.