TX: Elsik dominate Strake Jesuit to continue winning streak

District play is underway in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school soccer season in the state of Texas as teams from all over the Lone Star State have now officially started the race for spots in the playoffs.   Prep Soccer Texas will be following the battle for a place in the postseason in the Houston area, covering multiple matches every week and featuring the top performers in each of them. On Tuesday, January 28, we were in Alief, where the Elsik Rams hosted the Strake Jesuit Crusaders in a District 20 match.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/01/texas-hs-boys-elkins-vs-strake-jesuit-photos/">Photos: Elsik vs. Strake Jesuit</a></li> </ul>   It was an exciting match, with two offensive-minded teams, which looked to attacking from start to finish. Elsik were very dangerous in the first half and nearly scored in a great play of winger Asa Marsh in which the ball hit the crossbar twice. Near the end of the first half, forward Andres Rosales found space to make a run and finished it with a powerful shot to put the hosts ahead.   The Crusaders were more on the front foot in the second half and looked a lot to find forwards [player_tooltip player_id='15764' first='Mateo' last='Valcarcel'] and Luca Macouzet up top, but they didn't get good chances to score. Later, Elsik connected a quick and lethal transition play that found midfielder Diego Rayo free to score 2-0 and put them very close to the victory.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://twitter.com/ElsikSoccer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ElsikSoccer</a> scored again in the second half and defeated <a href="https://twitter.com/SJ_Soccer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SJ_Soccer</a> 2-0 in district play. Photos and Match Report up shortly at <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepSoccerTX?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepSoccerTX</a>. <a href="https://t.co/nsl5RjMBsV">pic.twitter.com/nsl5RjMBsV</a>— Guilherme Torres (@grtorres) <a href="https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1884441865002316162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2025</a></blockquote>   With the victory, Elsik remain undefeated in district play with three wins and extend their perfect campaign in the season to ten victories in as many matches. Strake Jesuit now have a 1-1 win record in district play, appearing in third place, and hold a 9-2-1 win record for the season.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    Rosales offered a lot offensively for Elsik and was involved in most of the team's offensive plays. A striker with great mobility and ball control, he operated very well with his back to the goal, connecting efficiently with the players around him, but was also dangerous when he had space to make runs. In one of those plays, he made a turn on a Strake Jesuit defender and made a strong run into the penalty box to finish it with a powerful shot and score the team's first goal. In the second half, with the Rams enduring some pressure from the Crusaders, Rosales played an important role in getting on the end of long passes and holding the ball or drawing fouls.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0062_0d9a5c.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278101" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    Marsh played with great energy and was one of Elsik's most dangerous players. A winger with great pace and dribbling ability, he had a very strong start to the match and almost scored his team's first goal in a play in which he beat an opposing defender, sprinted into the penalty box and fired a powerful shot that hit the crossbar. Marsh split his team between the right and the left and was dangerous on both spots, playing very aggressively when he had the ball and making dangerous runs behind the backline. He also showed great discipline and commitment to return and help on defense.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0088_54cd67.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278107" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    Working on a double-pivot in midfield, Ordonez helped Elsik control the flow of the game in the center of the field. A physical player, he won many duels and was a strong presence around the midfield line. The senior also did solid work with the ball, using turns and quick moves to keep possession and accurate passing to help set up offensive plays. Ordonez also did a great job of stepping into the attacking half, winning second balls and reinitiating the offensive action for his team.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0024_81efcf.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278085" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    The senior center back had a great match playing in the center of Elsik's back three. He was matched up with the physical Luca Macouzet for most of the match and, despite his size advantage, won many duels in the air and didn't allow much space for his opponent to make plays. Guillen was also very quick to react and was consistently in great spots to cover his teammates when needed. The center back also played a major role in the team's buildup, connecting excellent passes out of the back and even making a few runs upfield.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0061_048031.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278100" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    Castillo formed a strong duo in midfield with Ordonez and the two were very good at controlling the game in the center of the field. A physical player, he covered a lot of ground on defense and was very efficient with his defensive actions. Castillo also displayed good quality on the ball, being very hard to dispossess and connecting good passes from the middle. He appeared quite a few times in good spots just outside the attacking penalty box, but couldn't send his shots on target.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0017.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278080" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    Estrada was very active in the center of the field alongside senior Paolo La Matta and the two had a tough battle with Elkins' central midfielders. He covered a lot of ground and appeared in different areas of the field, participating a lot in the game. Estrada was very effective at winning duels and did a good job of occupying the center of the field. He also showed some quality on the ball, connecting good passes and making good runs, and was moved to a more advanced role before leaving the match due to an injury.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0015_323e64.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278079" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    The goalkeeper had a solid shift with the Crusaders and prevented that they went into the halftime break losing by more than a goal as he made some nice saves in the first half. Macouzet wasn't to blame in either of Elkins' goals and in both of them, he had opposing attackers coming at him. The goalkeeper was also very vocal and kept sharing instructions with his teammates the entire time. Another positive aspect of his game was the accuracy of his punts, which often found teammates in the attacking half.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0045_924d75.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278093" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>    Herrera was the most solid player in the Crusaders' backline. Playing as a right-sided center back, he had somewhat of a no-nonsense style, keeping things simple and avoiding opponents to get on the ball with timely tackles. Herrera did a solid job defending in the air and displayed great mobility to step away from the center of the field and cover his teammates on the wings or further up. He also did a solid job in possession, connecting simple passes and avoiding turnovers.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/01/2J4A0072.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-278102" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Elkins vs. Strake Jesuit</figcaption></figure>

District play is underway in the University Interscholastic League (UIL) high school soccer season in the state of Texas as teams from all over the Lone Star State have now officially started the race for spots in the playoffs.