ECNL Texas: Day 3 Standouts

<p>The ECNL annual Girls National Event held in Texas came to an end on Sunday, with over 200 club teams from all over the country competing at the Toyota Soccer Center and the MoneyGram Soccer Park in the Lone Star State.</p>   <p>Prep Dig Texas followed the action on-site, covering many of the duels that took place during the day at the Toyota Soccer Center.</p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/02/ecnl-texas-day-3-photos/">Photos: ECNL Texas Day 3</a></li> </ul>   <p>Here are our standouts from the matches we got to watch:</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">OK Energy FC 08 3 - 2 Kansas City Athletics 08</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Playing as a defensive midfielder, Bechtel gave OK Energy FC a great dynamic in the center of the field, playing a key role in their victory. A tall and athletic player, she was excellent at winning duels and also displayed great spatial awareness, constantly checking her shoulder and adjusting her positioning accordingly. The midfielder also did solid work in possession, helping her team circulate the ball efficiently. Bechtel didn't spend much time on the ball, but made a big impact with her passing, at times initiating quick transition plays immediately after winning possession of it.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0032_21679d.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279813" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Chada was the focal point of Kansas City Athletics' offense and was the team's most dangerous offensive player. She had a strong presence inside the penalty box, and scored the team's first goal after getting on the end of a cross, but also displayed great mobility, dropping back and drifting wide to engage in plays. Chada was very good at checking back to take part in their plays, finding a teammate in a wide position and rushing to the penalty box to be in a position to finish her cross. The forward also displayed great capacity to drive the ball and keep possession in the final third, combining good pace and the ability to shield the ball from opponents.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0019_2580bd.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279810" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sting Austin 08 2 - 3 Richmond United 08</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Lewis' energy and intensity were key assets for Sting Austin in a game where they had to attack for most of the time. She was extremely active in the final third, getting on the ball very often and trying to use her pace and dribbling to beat defenders. Lewis spent time at the right win and the center forward spots and was a constant threat to Richmond's backline with her intensity. She scored the team's second with a difficult shot from outside the penalty box that got a little help form the wind to go in right at the upper corner.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0038_364524.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279818" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Operating as a central midfielder, Cobb was a key player for Richmond United, dictating the team's offensive rhythm with her excellent choices. She got on the ball a lot and had a great feeling for the game, understanding how to attack Sting Austin's backline. She was very direct and effective with her passing, consistently finding teammates in good spots out wide or behind the opposite backline. Cobb also handled pressure very well, doing a great job of keeping the ball and beating teammates with quick moves.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='278665' first='Classics' last='Elite'] 08 1 - 1 Oregon Surf 08</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Heintz had a great shift in midfield for [program_tooltip program_id='278665' first='Classics' last='Elite'], making a strong impact in the game with her play. She did an excellent job of shielding the team's backline, playing with determination and efficiently winning duels and making interceptions. The defensive midfielder was possibly even better on the ball, as, despite being under pressure on some occasions, she managed to keep her passing accurate and intelligent at all times, connecting well with the team's wide players and sending promising long balls behind the opposing backline. Heintz also had great presence in the attacking half, scoring the team's goal with a header off of a free kick and firing a dangerous shot from outside the penalty box during the first half.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0059_4cccc5.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279828" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Playing on the left wing, Gates was consistently dangerous for Oregon Surf. She displayed great quality and quickness on the ball and was very hard to dispossess when in action in the final third. A right-footed player, Gates consistently brought the ball inside to play and on some occasions, she found the team's overlapping left back with perfectly weighted passes. She also fired some dangerous shots and did a great job of tracking back to help on defense.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0073_6cba00.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279832" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Solar SC 08 3 - 3 DeAnza Force 08</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Miles was an interesting offensive option for Soalr in a match of many goals and opportunities. She played at an intense rhythm up top and used her pace and quality on the ball to consistently create problems for opponents. Miles moved very well in the final third, appearing on both wings and also in the middle and doing a great job in connecting with her teammates. She scored the team's third goal by making an excellent run behind the backline and firing a perfectly placed low cross-shot.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0115_d57143.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279838" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">McCormick was a force in midfield for DeAnza Force and led the team to a strong performance. A tall and physical player, she imposed her game in a strong way and was very active defensively, making tackles and winning duels in the center of the field. She appeared very well in the final third, playing her box-to-box role very efficiently, and was a constant threat to Solar's defense. McCormick made several runs through the middle and was very difficult to stop because of her ability to cover ground with her long legs and of how well she shielded the ball. She also fired some dangerous shots on target.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0116_4a1e76.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279839" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='278678' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] 08 4 - 1 Rockford Raptors 08</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Wilson had an excellent match as a defensive midfielder for the [program_tooltip program_id='278678' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] and helped the team come back from an early goal to win 4-1. She was very active in firm with her defensive actions and made several interceptions, reading the game well and getting to the ball first. Wilson also did solid work with her distribution, connecting good passes and helping the team keep possession. The midfielder's ability in set pieces was also pivotal in the Texans' victory as she scored an Olimpico and took the corner kick that resulted in the team's first goal.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0157_f3ab7d.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279851" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Despite the Rockford Raptors' inconsistent defensive performance, Reese held her own at the left back spot. She was tasked with defending the Texans' athletic winger [player_tooltip player_id='27040' first='Makenzie' last='Majors'] and had an interesting battle with her, showing great pace and determination to track her back and make stops. Despite not getting into the final third very often, Reese also did good work in possession, sending accurate long passes to teammates on the left flank. The outside back also displayed an interesting ability to take long throw-ins and managed to connect with attacking players from there.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0132_4caed9.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279845" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Minnesota Thunder 08 0 - 1 FC Dallas 08</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Penman was the focal point of the Minnesota Thunder's offense and everything the team created went through her. She played as a forward, but didn't have much of a s set position on the field, tracking the ball and appearing everywhere in the final third. A physical player, Penman used her body well to shield the ball and progress on the field. She also displayed good vision in the final third, finding her teammates with good passes and consistently telling them where to go.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0169.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279852" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Bryant played a massive role in FC Dallas' clean sheet, shutting things down on the left side of their defense. The left back was matched up with very physical players, but still won most of the battles, playing with great determination and intelligence. Bryant also appeared well in the team's buildup, displaying calm on the ball to connect quick, short passes, and also finding the wingers with long balls. She pushed forward on some occasions and did a great job of combining with midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='225399' first='Kennedy' last='Clark'] to get to the end line and send dangerous crosses into the penalty box.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0180_69793b.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279856" /></figure>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sting Austin 09 2 - 1 Eclipse Select 09</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">Twp days after standing out as the ECNL Continental Tire National Selection Game Player of the Match, Reyna put on another great performance to lead Sting Austin against Eclipse Select. She assisted in the team's first goal and scored the game-winner, making the difference for her team against a strong opponent. Reyna split her time between the attacking midfielder and the left winger role and was always dangerous, looking for the ball the entire time and making good runs to get into the final third. She also displayed excellent vision around the penalty box, timing her passes extremely well and repeatedly finding her teammates in good spots.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0231_0e970a.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279865" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Buchanan was Eclipse Select's most active player in midfield and had a strong offensive role for them. She used her body well to get on the ball and did a great job of connecting passes through the center of the field. She also displayed very quick thinking as, on multiple occasions, she made one-time passes that found teammates in good spots. Buchanan was directly involved in the team's only goal in the match, making a strong run through the right and firing a shot that hit the crossbar before rebounding for a teammate of hers to score.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0220_b63b02.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279862" /></figure>

The ECNL annual Girls National Event held in Texas came to an end on Sunday, with over 200 club teams from all over the country competing at the Toyota Soccer Center and the MoneyGram Soccer Park in the Lone Star State.