Texas HS Girls: Clements vs. Travis
District play is underway in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school soccer season in Texas and for the next two months teams around the Lone Star State will be playing their closest rivals in a contest for a spot…
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Continue ReadingDistrict play is underway in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school soccer season in Texas and for the next two months teams around the Lone Star State will be playing their closest rivals in a contest for a spot in the playoffs.
Prep Soccer will be following several of the matches taking place in the Houston area and reporting on them, highlighting the Top Performers and sharing photos of the encounters. On Friday, January 26, we went to watch the Fort Bend ISD duel between the Clements Lady Rangers and the Travis Tigers.
Playing on the road, the Tigers got the opening goal of the night in the first half, with junior forward Sienna Acosta finding the back of the net with a beautiful shot from outside the penalty box. Clements regrouped for the second half and got two goals to secure the win at home.
Sophomore midfielder leveled the score with sophomore midfielder Sonali Aras Sonali Aras D Clements | 2026 TX scoring and incredible Olimpico and senior forward Jayna Patel produced the go-ahead goal with a powerful shot from inside the penalty box.
There are the players who delivered strong performances:
Macy Houston
Macy Houston
The senior center back anchored Clements’ backline with a very solid and efficient game. Houston was vastly successful in 1v1 duels and also did a very good job when she had to step away from her zone in the backline to cover teammates and disrupt plays. She was a vocal leader for the Lady Rangers too, communicating well with her teammates and keeping things organized. The defenders also displayed good quality on the ball, playing good passes out of the back and even supporting the team’s offense with some runs down the left.
In a certain way, it’s fair to say that Clements played in Aras’ rhythm as the center midfielder had an inconsistent first half, but stepped up her game in a huge way in the last 40 minutes. The sophomore was extremely active in the midfield and helped her team dominate the center of the field with great energy to win the ball back and tremendous quality when in possession. Aras’ set pieces were a huge factor in the game as, despite tying the match with an incredible Olimpico, she also created some other opportunities in dead-ball situations, propelling the Lady Rangers to a strong start in the second half.
Jocelyn Kianka
Jocelyn Kianka
Kianka was another player who had an improved performance in the second half and played a major role in Clements’ comeback. After having some difficulties in the first 40 minutes, she settled in the final part of the game and had most of her team’s offensive action flowing through her. The sophomore was great when operating in tight spaces and also found some very good passes, many of which were in one-touch plays. Kianka had two dangerous finishes in the second half and was also very active defensively, registering several tackles and interceptions.
Jayna Patel
Jayna Patel
Before scoring Clements’ game-winning goal, the forward was already having a solid night. Playing on the left side of the team’s attack, Patel was very direct and aggressive on the ball, going at defenders and trying to beat them off the dribble. She was very calm and composed to score the go-ahead goal in a critical moment of the match, controlling a great cross from Sophia Maalouf Sophia Maalouf 5’4″ | F Clements | 2027 TX with her chest and finishing with power to beat the goalkeeper. She was also important at the end, keeping the ball in the attacking half and helping Clements run the clock down.
Caralyn Verow
Caralyn Verow
Verow had a strong performance on the left side of Travis’ backline. A very physical defender, she was hard to get by and managed to keep the dangerous Maalouf under control for most of the time, winning most of the duels between the two. Verow also displayed good positioning and reading of the game, making smart interceptions and drifting inside to cover her teammates when Clements attempted to create with through balls. The left back made a key intervention near the end of the first half, when Clements tried to quickly take a free kick near the penalty box while Travis’ backline was fully disorganized. She also did very well with throw-ins, always sending the ball far up the field with good precision.
Natalie Chao
Natalie Chao
Chao was tireless with her work in front of Travis’ backline and had great success shielding it for most of the match. The senior was very active defensively and was always around the ball, making stops and getting interceptions to make things harder for Clements. Chao was very quick with her movement and had excellent defensive instincts, anticipating plays. She wasn’t very creative when in possession, but played it safe, connecting short passes, and was extremely efficient with it.
Sienna Acosta
Sienna Acosta
The focal point of Travis’ offense, Acosta had a busy night playing up top. Her team insisted on playing long balls to her, especially in the first half, and she did a very good job of getting on the end of them and making plays. Acosta would normally get on the ball on the flanks and she displayed great pace, physicality and dribbling skills to bring it inside and create dangerous plays. On some occasions, she was battling multiple defenders and didn’t get much help, but she still managed to make something out of it. She scored a beautiful goal with a left-footed finish from well outside the penalty box.