ECNL Girls TX U15: Barrow decides as Albion defeat FC Dallas

After a long break during the winter for the high school season, the ECNL Girls Soccer League is back to action as the best teams in the country face their matches in the spring as they prepare for the postseason.   Prep Soccer Texas resumed its coverage of the Texas Conference on Sunday, April 27, when we were at the Campbell Road Sports Park, in Houston, following the match between the [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] G10 and [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] G10, which had the home team winning 1-0.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/04/ecnl-girls-tx-u15-albion-hurricanes-fc-vs-fc-dallas-photos/"> Photos: Albion Hurricanes G10 vs. [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] G10</a></li> </ul>   The first half of the match was even, with both teams moving the ball well and creating chances. Dallas had their best chance when forward [player_tooltip player_id='214165' first='Eden' last='Collins'] fired a powerful shot from outside the box, but Albion's goalkeeper [player_tooltip player_id='218285' first='Makenna' last='Woicikowfski'] deflected it over the goal. Near the end of the half, at the 38th minute, Albion scored their game-winning goal, with [player_tooltip player_id='214146' first='Bridget' last='Asekomhe'] sending a cross into the box and fellow forward [player_tooltip player_id='210626' first='Caroline' last='Barrow'] heading it into the back of the net.   In the second half, Dallas had more control of the game and kept the ball in the attacking half for most of the time, while Albion attempted to hit in transition, mostly with Asekomhe. Dallas managed to create some good chances, most of them with midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='280889' first='Alaia' last='Harrington'], but Albion's backline did great defensive work to keep the ball out of the box and goalkeeper Woicikowfski came up with big saves to preserve their lead until the end.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/grtorres/status/1916548196685271507 </div></figure>   Albion are third in the Texas Conference with 30 points (nine wins, two losses, three ties), while [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'] appear in sixth place with 22 (seven wins, four losses, one tie).   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    Barrow was obviously huge for Albion as she scored their game-winning goal, but she was important for the Houston side in many other ways. The forward was very active offensively, circulating well in the final third and helping the team create chances with her intelligent passing and her ability to dribble the ball. Barrow did an excellent job in the play in which she scored, moving smartly inside the box to get separation from [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' taller defenders and sending the ball into the back of the net with an extremely well-placed header, which gave no chance for their goalkeeper. During the second half, with Albion enduring heavy pressure, Barrow was moved to the backline and defended [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' dangerous midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='280889' first='Alaia' last='Harrington'], displaying great determination to battle her and limiting her space up top.    <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/DI-OmCmo-u6/ </div></figure>    Kates was a stud for Albion and, playing in the center of their backline, led the team to a clean sheet against a strong opponent. The center back was excellent at defending the team's penalty box and made several clearances, both in the air and on the ground. Kates was frequently tasked with defending [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' physical attackers and did an excellent job of winning duels against them and not allowing them much space to finish or make plays. The center back also displayed good mobility to step outside of her spot and cover her teammates out wide or higher up on the field.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0038_777ad2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-286081" /></figure>    Woicikowfski was also instrumental in Albion's victory and clean sheet, coming up with big saves in key moments of the match. She made a pair of very impressive stops in the first half, getting to a powerful shot from [player_tooltip player_id='214165' first='Eden' last='Collins'] that was going into the upper corner and leaving her spot very quickly to take the ball from the feet of Lila Hays in a 1v1 situation. In the second half, even though her team's backline did a good job of defending the penalty box, the goalkeeper was called to action to stop a couple of shots from outside the box and was very reliable. Woicikowfski also dealt well with crosses and long passes that went into the box, always being the first to get to the ball.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0031_5161d0.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-286077" /></figure>    Asekomhe was very active offensively for Albion and was constantly involved in their actions in the attacking half. For most of the time, she was their most advanced player, and she did a good job of working with her back to the goal, combining with her teammates, but also explored her pace and dribbling ability to create chances on the wings. Asekomhe was excellent in the play that resulted in the team's goal, getting the ball from a throw-in, creating space even defended by two opponents, and sending a perfect cross to Barrow. For most of the second half, she was the only Albion player not to drop back and was very important by getting to the end of long passes and keeping the ball in the final third, relieving the pressure on her team's backline for brief moments.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0069.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-286088" /></figure>    Gray had a solid shift at right back for Albion, playing with good energy and showing quality on both sides of the ball. She was very active at the start of the match, consistently pushing forward and helping the team offensively with strong runs down the line and combination plays. She left the match for a while and returned during the second half, having more of a defensive role and helping her team sustain Dallas' pressure in the final 20 minutes of the match.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0015_a929a6.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-286071" /></figure>    Harrington was [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']' most consistent offensive weapon during the match. She was used on the left side of the team's attack in the first half and used her ability to dribble the ball forward to get to the engine and send passes and crosses into the box. In the second half, she spent most of the time on the right and had some success in some attempts to get the back with her back to the goal, make turns on Albion's defenders and finish with her left foot - she missed the goal just for a few inches in one of those plays. Harrington also provided good service in set pieces.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0016.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-286072" /></figure>    Beirute had a strong performance with [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas'], showing her ability to help the team in different spots with her all-around game. She started the match at left back and dominated her zone of the field, winning duels and stopping most of Albion's plays with well-timed defending actions. Beiture also displayed good quality on the ball, consistently getting involved in the team's buildup and connecting accurate passes down the line. In the second half, she moved to defensive midfielder and continued to perform well, making tackles, intercepting long passes and distributing the ball efficiently.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/04/2J4A0046_1edfef.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-286082" /></figure>    Ladd had a very active match in central midfield for [program_tooltip program_id='283648' first='FC' last='Dallas']. She covered a lot of ground defensively and helped the team make stops and regain possession with strong tackles and smart positioning. Ladd also did a good job of taking the ball into the final third with strong runs through the middle and intelligent passing. She kept her intensity level high during the entire time she was on the field and was always very clean on the ball.

After a long break during the winter for the high school season, the ECNL Girls Soccer League is back to action as the best teams in the country face their matches in the spring as they prepare for the postseason.