ECNL Dallas: 15s – Goalkeepers
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The top teams in the ECNL Girls League in the country were in Dallas from February 17-19, where the league held its sixth National event of the season. Over 220 teams were in action over the three days of the…
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Continue ReadingThe top teams in the ECNL Girls League in the country were in Dallas from February 17-19, where the league held its sixth National event of the season.
Over 220 teams were in action over the three days of the event and Prep Soccer was in attendance, following several matches a day and taking a lot at some of the top-level prospects in the country. On Sunday, we were at the MoneyGram Soccer Park, in Dallas, where we got to watch 16 of the 58 teams of the 15s age group compete.
We’ve already highlighted the players that stood out in the encounters we got to watch and now we’ll expand that a little bit and list more prospects that left a strong impression, looking at one position at a time. We start with the goalkeepers:
Sting Dallas Royal were one of just two teams to not concede any goals in the division and much of it was due to Pike’s strong presence between the posts. The backline did an excellent job in front of her during the weekend, now allowing many chances to opponents, but when that happened, Pike was there to stop them. I watched her in a 2-0 win over Indy Eleven Pro Academy and she made a truly impressive save near the end of the first half in a 1v1 situation. Pike displayed to be very calm between the posts and to have the reflexes to deal with anything. She also contributed to the team’s possession-heavy style, putting the ball back in play with great intelligence and precision.
Highlights
Trevino was the starting goalkeeper for the Albion Hurricanes FC and the team went undefeated over the weekend with two wins and one tie, while conceding just three goals. I watched their match against GSA, which ended with a 5-2 win, and was probably the one in which the goalkeeper had to work the most. Trevino is not very tall, but is extremely agile and uses her positioning to be in the right place at all times and make ‘easier’ saves. She’s very confident in her moves and doesn’t hesitate when she has to make a decision in the penalty box. Trevino also did a good job when she had to use her feet.
The Dallas Texans had one of the strongest defenses in the division, conceding just one goal in three matches. Their starting goalkeeper, Arnolds contributed to their defensive solidness with very good moves between the posts. I watched them in a 2-1 win over XF Academy, when she was scored on for the only time in the weekend, but still left very impressed with her play. Arnolds is very calm in goal and handles pressure very well, making big saves in key moments and displaying the ability to sustain long periods of domination by opponents. She’s also very determined when she needs to leave her line and face attackers in 1v1 situations. Arnolds also punted the ball way upfield with good precision.
Highlights
Lola-Iris Ta Lola-Iris Ta 5’7″ | GK Lake Highlands | 2028 TX ‘s FC Dallas team had a difficult weekend, getting one tie and two losses, with the backline leading six goals. I got to watch them in a 2-1 loss to PDA Blue and thought she did very well between the posts, keeping her team in the game until the end. A tall goalkeeper, Ta handled very well the crosses sent into the penalty box and the shots targeting the upper corner. She also had the reflexes to make stops in close-range finishes and tried to push the team forward, quickly putting the ball back in the game when she made a save.
Highlights
PDA Blue had a solid weekend, getting two wins and one tie. They got a strong 2-1 victory over FC Dallas and had Reigrod as one of their key players as they contained their opponents’ strong offense. Reigrod had to deal with a lot of pressure in the final minutes and made some important saves, also taking away some of FC Dallas’ momentum. A tall goalkeeper, she’s also very technical and thrives with her positioning and her ability to quickly react to plays. She did well when dealing with crosses and also led the backline with great efficiency.