ECNL Dallas: 17s – Midfielders
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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 Saturday, we were at the Toyota Soccer Center, in Frisco, where we got to watch 16 of the 52 teams of the 17s 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. This time, we’ll focus on the midfielders:
Snell had a very solid match with Sting Austin in a scoreless tie with Seattle United. Playing in front of the team’s backline in a double pivot with Breckyn Ferrell Breckyn Ferrell M Lake Travis | 2026 State #60 Nation TX , she was very intense and contributed on both sides of the ball. Snell provided great protection to the team’s defense, covering a lot of ground in midfield and disrupting Seattle’s offensive actions with strong tackles and by putting pressure on opponents. The midfielder was also efficient in possession, passing the ball smoothly and finding good vertical passes that helped the team move the ball forward with great quickness.
Solar SC’s creative midfielder ended the week with a goal and an assist and had a solid game in a 2-1 win over World Class FC. With their opponents defending on a very low block and very compact, Solar often needed something different to create chances and Fuller brought that several times. Her excellent vision allowed her to find teammates in good spots and disorganize World Class defense with intelligent one-time passes. Fuller was very smart with her positioning too, finding space in between the lines to get on the ball and doing a good job of going at defenders in 1v1 situations.
Ring brought a lot of intensity to World Class FC’s midfield in their match against Solar SC. Playing as a box-to-box midfielder, she was very active and was involved with everything her team did on the field. Ring worked very hard defensively, covering a lot of ground and winning several duels in the center of the field. She was probably even more important offensively and several of the team’s attacking plays went through her, who created problems with quick runs through the middle and also did a great job with her passing, helping in the buildup and connecting good passes in the final third as well.
The Pittsburgh Rivehounds had a difficult game against Sporting Blue Valley, losing 3-0, but the talented Dupre stand out in midfielder for them. She started the match in midfield, where she could get on the ball a lot and heavily influence the game with her passing and her ability to make runs through the middle, even when defended by multiple opponents. Dupre also played up top, as a forward, in the hope that her ability could make more of an impact near the goal and she made some dangerous plays there too, shielding the ball well and making turns. The midfielder also did a good job with set pieces.
Highlights
Shields was one of the key players for SLSG Navy as they defeated Challenge SC 2-0. She played in front of the team’s backline and was excellent for them, remaining active during the entire match. Shields played hard on defense, winning duels and helping her team dominate the central area of the field. The midfielder was also very important when the team had the ball, playing a major role in their possession-heavy style. Shields would at times get the ball under pressure, but always found ways to break it and connect good passes, feeding the team’s wingbacks and also striker Rayna Powers up top.