Texas HS Girls: District Champions – Bridgeland
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The playoffs are knocking on the door in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) soccer season as the postseason matches are set to start in just about two weeks, starting the final portion of the season for teams around the Lone…
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Continue ReadingThe playoffs are knocking on the door in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) soccer season as the postseason matches are set to start in just about two weeks, starting the final portion of the season for teams around the Lone Star State.
Regular season play is still underway in Texas, but several districts in the Lone Star State have already crowned their champions, who will enter the postseason full of confidence after strong performances against their regional rivals.
We’re taking the slow week of Spring Break to feature some of the teams that triumphed in their districts in the Houston area:
Bridgeland
District 16 is yet to complete its calendar, with the final matches set to take place on March 20, but the Lady Bears have already secured the title, winning it for a fourth-straight season. Bridgeland are undefeated in district play, having registered 11 wins and two ties so far, and will try to keep their campaign perfect against Cypress Springs in their final district match. The team scored 62 goals and allowed just three, having one of the best defenses in the entire state. Some of their highlights include 2-0 and 1-0 wins over third-placed Cy Woods and an 8-0 victory over fourth-place Cypress Lakes in the match in which they clinched the title. Bridgeland are still undefeated this season, with 17 wins and two ties.
Key Players:
Sydney Robinett
Sydney Robinett
The sophomore goalkeeper continued to improve in her second season with the Lady Bears and has been their undisputed starter between the posts. Robinett has allowed just four goals in 19 matches in the entire season, getting an impressive 16 clean sheets. A goalkeeper with solid technical skills, she’ll very rarely make a mistake and is extremely reliable and consistent with her actions in goal. Robinett is also very good at staying focused in the game and is always ready to step up and make plays when her team needs her to.
Brooke Martin
Brooke Martin
Another second-year starter for Bridgeland, Martin has also embraced a bigger role this season. If the center back was an important piece in the team’s defensive system last year, she’s now its anchor, leading the backline with tremendous efficiency. Martin continues to rely on her positioning to make stops, but has added a little bit more physicality to her game and is not afraid of playing hard when the situation calls for it. Martin is also very effective at connecting long passes out of the back and at times uses that ability to create chances out of long-distance free kicks. The defender also has a strong presence in the air when defending and attacking set pieces.
Le has been Bridgeland’s main creative force this season. Playing as No. 10, she has all the freedom she needs to circulate in the final third and has been very good at getting on the ball in good spots and creating chances for them. She’s very smooth on the ball and can be dangerous in a variety of ways as she has the skills to beat defenders off the dribble, the quickness to make combination plays through the middle and the vision to find attackers with her passes. Le is very quick in her mind and can find solutions to play even when under pressure.
A new face with Bridgeland this season, Allison has strengthened the team’s offense. A versatile player who can perform multiple roles offensively, she’s been used on the left of the team’s attack, where she’s been using her pace and dribbling ability to make plays and get to the end line to create chances. Besides having great quality on the ball, Allison also uses her body well to shield it from defenders, which helps her maintain possession even when under pressure. The winger has a lot of energy and has been doing a good job of dropping back to help the team on defense too.
Highlights
Maddy Benker
Maddy Benker
Benker has become the focal point of Bridgeland’s offense this season following Aniayah Robinson’s early departure and the new role has definitely not looked too big for her. The junior has been scoring in bunches and much of it is thanks to her excellent movement off the bench, which puts her in good spots to score play after play. Benker is very calm and lethal in front of the goal and can punish goalkeepers in a variety of ways. She’s a player who commands a lot of attention from opposing center backs, but is very difficult to defend because she can drop deep to get on the ball and make combination plays or make runs in behind the backline.