ECNL Girls Texas Conference U19: Three Center Backs to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The highly competitive ECNL club league kicked off its 2024-2025 season on the weekend of August 24-25, with the first Conference matches taking place around the country and setting the floor for what's going to be ten intense months of soccer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Texas Conference has been one of the strongest in the league in the last few years and will continue to be this season as some of the most talented players in the nation represent clubs from the region. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Soccer Texas will be following the action weekly and providing coverage in text, photo and social media posts, giving the talented prospects from the Lone Star State some well-deserved recognition and exposure. We start our coverage featuring some players to watch in the upcoming season. First, the U19 age group, and this time we'll recognize some of the most promising center backs in the conference:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["54871"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66ccf68d4c8d5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Reed will be the defensive anchor of Albion Hurricanes FC ECNL in the conference. She can play anywhere across the backline, but her defensive instincts make more of an impact at the center back position, where she's constantly challenged by opposing attackers. Reed thrives in the middle of a back three, where her outstanding reading of the game and impressive athleticism allow her to make timely interventions. She is also an offensive weapon for her team in dead-ball situations with her excellent position in the penalty and her ability to win aerial duels and score off of headers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkTnwfC_Dz4","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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=CkTnwfC_Dz4 </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Sydney Frigillana ","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'2u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Flower Mound","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"Sting Dallas Royal","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66ccf68d4ca10"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Frigillana can help her Sting Dallas Royal ECNL 07 team as a center back or an outside back. Her pace and her ability to put pressure on opponents are her main defensive assets as they allow her to defend well outside the penalty box and also in transition. Frigillana likes to stay close to opposing attackers and doesn't blink before tackling them when she sees a heavy first touch or some hesitation. She also does a fine job in possession, remaining calm and finding good solutions to pass the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:embed {"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBq97wskeWU","type":"video","providerNameSlug":"youtube","responsive":true,"className":"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"} --> <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=dBq97wskeWU </div></figure> <!-- /wp:embed --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='227859' first='Iyana' last='Axson']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"101","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Bishop Lynch","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"DKSC","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66ccf68d4cb14"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Axson will play an important role for DKSC ECNL 07 in their backline. A multi-sport student-athlete, she also plays basketball and track and is one of those people who were just born to play sports and will thrive in whatever they do. On a soccer field, that translates into solid defensive work, built on her extraordinary athleticism and physical skills. Not many players have Axson's strength and her mobility and she uses that combination to cover ground and win duels defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":151075,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2023/10/IMG_4289.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-151075" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Albion Hurricanes FC ECNL G07 vs. DKSC ECNL G07</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->