ECNL TX: Albion G09 dominate Houston rivals Challenge to 6-0 win

<p>The 2025-2026 ECNL Girls League has pretty much entered its winter break following the conclusion of the Kansas City National Event at the start of December. A few select matches, however, continue to take place around the country.</p>   <p>Prep Soccer Texas will closely follow the progress of the ECNL season for local boys and girls teams for the next several months, attending matches and showcases held in the Lone Star State to produce articles, photos and social media posts that highlight the impressive performances and accomplishments from our players.</p>   <p>On Saturday, December 13, we attended the H-Town Showdown between crosstown rivals [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] and [program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC'] in the 2009 age group. Hosting the match at the Campbell Road Sports Park, as part of their traditional Texas Girls Showcase, Albion put on a strong performance to triumph 6-0.</p>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] G09 vs. [program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC'] G09 - <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/12/ecnl-tx-albion-hurricanes-fc-g09-vs-challenge-sc-g09-photos/">Photos</a></strong></li> </ul>   <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/DSX7ospj9vA/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   <p>Albion opened their account within the first minute of the game, with center back [player_tooltip player_id='148466' first='Audrey' last='Brendel'] getting on the end of a corner kick on the far post to head the ball into the back of the net. In the 11th minute, forward [player_tooltip player_id='148485' first='Baylee' last='Corcoran'] drove the ball down the left and crossed it to forward [player_tooltip player_id='165670' first='Carden' last='Allison'], who tapped it in from a few inches to the goal line. Allison got her second goal in the 43rd minute of the first half, beating a Challenge defender for the ball to head it home after a cross by midfielder Camila Miranda Riebling.</p>   <p>The home team continued to dominate in the second half and extended their lead to four goals when Corcoran crossed to forward [player_tooltip player_id='148483' first='Reagan' last='Mermis'], who scored off a header in the 14th minute. Corcoran got her goal three minutes later, getting the rebound of a shot and sending the ball into an open net. Mermis scored again in the 25th minute, completing a cross by midfielder [player_tooltip player_id='148468' first='Brooke' last='Mansour'] with a perfect left-footed shot, and gave the match its final score.</p>   <p>With the solid victory, Albion are now in sixth place in the Texas Conference standings, with six wins, three losses and two ties. Challenge appear in 11th place, with three wins, five losses and three ties.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    <p class="text-gray-700">The forward was a constant threat to Challenge, leading Albion's offense with solid plays and a high success rate in her actions. Allison operated very well with her back to the goal, using her body to control the space and serving as a target in free throws and long passes. The forward hurt her opponents in a variety of ways, as she made strong runs through the middle, dropped back to operate as a playmaker and also drifted wide to send crosses into the box. Allison displayed great positioning inside the box to score her first goal and was excellent at getting in front of a defender and heading the ball right into the corner to get her second one.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/2J4A0352.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-343721" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Mermis also had a strong offensive performance for Albion, playing with a lot of energy in the attack and getting a brace in the second half. She started the match at right winger and used her pace and dribbling ability to make plays down the line. Mermis moved to center forward in the second half and did a great job of getting involved and finishing chances, getting a goal with a nice header and another one with a beautiful first-time, left-footed shot. She kept her energy level and her intensity high throughout the entire match and never stopped making runs behind the backline and pressing opposing defenders.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/reaganmermis_09/status/2001471534011986095?s=20 </div></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Playing on the left wing, Corcoran was heavily involved in Albion's offensive efforts, contributing to half of the team's six goals. Very crafty and creative with her dribbling, she was dangerous every time she got on the ball, beating Challenge defenders with relative ease. Corcoran explored the space out wide very well, consistently getting to the endline and registering two assists with accurate crosses. She also got a goal by stepping into the penalty box and following up on a shot to pick the rebound and score. The winger also demonstrated strong tactical discipline, tracking back and playing defense with energy even after her team had a big lead in the second half. </p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/2J4A0254.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-343683" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Albion got a lot from their offensive players to build their solid victory, but the backline, led by Lawless, also did a good job in getting a clean sheet. The center back used her height and positioning extremely well to intercept their long passes, denying their opponents the ball in the final third. Lawless also did well when she had to defend in transition, stepping up to stop play at the right moment, and was very strong with how she pressed opponents when they had the ball, forcing them back. The center back thrived with her distribution as well, moving the ball efficiently and even stepping into the attacking half on some occasions to support the attack.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/2J4A0331.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-343709" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">Miranda came off the bench in the first half and kept the high level of Albion's offense with her intelligent and technical play. She played mostly on the wings and did a very good job of combining with the players around her and moving off the ball to make plays. Miranda was also very strong in 1v1 plays, using her dribbling to beat defenders, and delivered an excellent cross to Allison to score the team's third goal.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/2J4A0321.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-343706" /></figure>    <p class="text-gray-700">In a match in which Challenge struggled on both sides of the game, Hernandez was the player who took the best care of the ball. She started the match playing as a forward, and didn't get on the ball in great spots, often having to work with her back to the goal and with an opponent pressing her, but didn't lose possession. Hernandez moved to the midfield in the second half and got more involved, at times dropping back to get the ball from the defenders or even the goalkeeper to initiate plays. She distributed the ball well, making some nice switches on some plays, but didn't get much help to turn possession into real chances.</p>    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/2J4A0259.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-343685" /></figure>

The 2025-2026 ECNL Girls League has pretty much entered its winter break following the conclusion of the Kansas City National Event at the start of December. A few select matches, however, continue to take place around the country.