ECNL Boys Texas: 17s – Standout Goalkeepers
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The ECNL Boys League hosted a national event last weekend in Round Rock reuniting 90 teams in the 16s and 17s age groups for three days of action. Prep Soccer Texas covered the first two days of the event, following…
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Continue ReadingThe ECNL Boys League hosted a national event last weekend in Round Rock reuniting 90 teams in the 16s and 17s age groups for three days of action.
Prep Soccer Texas covered the first two days of the event, following several teams from the Lone Star State as they took the field against opponents from other states and provided daily coverage with photos and a report on the individual standouts of the day.
Now with the event over, we’ll take a little bit of a deeper dive and feature the positional standouts in the 17s division, starting with the goalkeepers:
Victor Velazquez
Victor Velazquez
SAFC had a difficult weekend in Round Rock, dropping all three matches, but Velazquez showed good qualities between the posts for them. He made solid good saves for the team and contributed to their defensive system. Velazquez also did well when called to step away from away to catch passes behind the backline or to take up space from attackers, wasting no time to move to the ball. The goalkeeper showed good quality with his feet too, working well when he got on the ball and, at times, helping circulate the ball with quickness and efficiency.
Justin Ratner
Justin Ratner
Ratner led DKSC to a very positive weekend, with wins in all three matches of the event and just two goals conceded. Although not very tall, he’s extremely agile between the posts and is very difficult to beat with his quick movement. Ratner likes to play advanced when the team has possession, adding an extra layer of coverage for transition plays, and was very quick to get to balls behind the backline. He’s also very quick and efficient in putting the ball back in play after making saves and often initiates transition plays with his throws.
HTX got two wins and a loss over the weekend in Round Rock with just two goals conceded and Coulter was among their top players. He used his size well to cover the goal and was ready to make plays when his team needed him to, transmitting a lot of confidence to them. Coulter also controlled the area in aerial plays, using his length to get to the ball and catch it. The goalkeeper played a big leadership role with the team too, communicating with his teammates the entire time and keeping the backline organized.
With Pettit in goal, Albion Hurricanes FC had two wins and a loss in the event, with three goals allowed. He did a very good shot between the posts, thriving with his positioning and reacting very quickly to get to the ball in long and short-distance shots. It was easy to see how technical Pettit is too as his actions were always very precise, leaving no room for sloppy mistakes. Despite not being very tall, he also did a good job when dealing with crosses, always making the right decision between catching and punching the ball. The goalkeeper’s quality with the ball in his feet was also well above average as he was very calm and efficient with his distribution.
Highlights
Kinser was a big part of a strong defensive system that led the Dallas Texans to go undefeated over the weekend with two wins and tie, while conceding only three goals. A very athletic goalkeeper, he was always well-positioned to make stops between the posts and had no trouble dealing with most of the shots that came his way. Kinser was always very talkative, coordinating the work of his defenders and giving them support when in possession. The goalkeeper was very calm every time the ball was passed to him, playing well under pressure and connecting intelligent passes.
Munshi and Jacob Chostner split time in goal for Solar SC and helped the team end the weekend with one win, one tie and one loss, while conceding just two goals. Munshi did a very good job when he was on the field, using his positioning to handle the shots fired on target with great efficiency. He also proved to be a very explosive goalkeeper, getting to powerful shots in the lower corner on time to deflect them. The goalkeeper did a good job with left foot when in possession, connecting good passes out of the back.