ECNL Girls Playoffs: Five Texas Goalkeepers to Watch

<p>After nine months of Conference Play, the ECNL Girls League is set to enter crunch time, with the playoffs taking place this week, from June 22-28, in Seattle, Washington, for the U13-19 age groups.</p>   <p>As many as 350 teams from the entire country will play at the 60 Acres Soccer Park, in Redmond, with the goal of securing a spot in the ECNL Girls Finals, which will be held in Richmond, Virginia, in July.</p>   <p>Among these teams, there are several sides from Texas, who will try and take the Lone Star State to the Finals. Here are five of the most talented Texas goalkeepers who will be in action this week in Redmond:</p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Pike plays for the Sting Dallas Royal 09 team that finished third in the Texas Conference with 12 wins, two losses and a tie and will play in the Champions League in Seattle. This team has one of the strongest defensive systems in the state and much of it can be credited to her efficiency between the posts. Pike is always very calm and is ready to step up when her team needs her, using her reflexes and diving ability to get to well-placed shots near the corner. The goalkeeper is very efficient when she needs to step outside her area to stop opponents in 1v1 situations and does an excellent job of putting the ball back in play with accurate passes and throws.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/Finleypike09gk/status/1711753540668907623 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">With Cervantes in goal, Solar SC 08 took first place in the Texas Conference and qualified for the Champions League playoffs. After spending some time as the backup to [player_tooltip player_id='26709' first='Evan' last='O'Steen'], she took the starting role when her teammate was moved to play up and kept the same level of efficiency for the team between the posts. Cervantes has great control of the penalty box and never hesitates when she has to leave the goal to catch crosses or passes in behind the backline, always finding the best routes to the ball. She also has very solid hands, which rarely give up rebounds, and can hit short and long passes with impressive precision with her skilled left foot.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://x.com/1kaylacervantes/status/1792894390697890130 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Tetmeyer is the starting goalkeeper of the Sting Austin 08 team that will play in the Champions League playoffs after ranking second in the Texas Conference with nine wins, one loss and five ties. Recognized as one of the top goalkeepers in the state, she combines great size, solid technical skills and a calm demeanor between the posts that allows her to step up and make big plays under pressure. Tetmeyer uses her length extremely well and at times it seems that no shot is out of reach for her. She's also very confident when dealing with crosses and makes some excellent last-second moves to get stops in close-range finishes.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/05/IMG_4851.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-173258" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC G08 vs. Sting Austin G08</figcaption></figure>     <p class="text-gray-700">McHugh will be in Seattle with the DKSC 07 team that was seventh in the Texas Conference with seven wins, five losses and three ties and will be among the ones playing the North American Cup. She was brought up from their 09s team and will be put to the test among the best in the country playing two age groups up. McHugh has excellent command of the penalty box and moves well in crowded spaces to catch crosses. She also has great reflexes and makes impressive saves in short-distance finishes and 1v1 situations. The goalkeeper has a strong right leg, being able to punt the ball upfield, and is precise with long passes.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/CyePT-yu8pz </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Murphy switched clubs this season, moving to FC Dallas 06/05, and helped them get second place in the Texas Conference with 12 wins, one loss and two ties, qualifying for the Champions League. She's an extremely consistent goalkeeper, who won't have off days and will be there to make saves when her team needs her to. Because of how explosive she is when going for the ball, Murphy often makes some impressive, eye-catching saves, but it's all about efficiency with her. That explosiveness, paired with incredible reflexes, also makes of her really tough goalie to beat in close-range situations.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vjOb4_7nMQ </div></figure>

After nine months of Conference Play, the ECNL Girls League is set to enter crunch time, with the playoffs taking place this week, from June 22-28, in Seattle, Washington, for the U13-19 age groups.