Texas HS: Undefeated Memorial and Stratford even in district game

District play continues to progress in the Texas high school soccer season, as, since the middle of January, teams from all over the Lone Star State began playing their regional rivals for spots in the playoffs.   For another season, Prep Soccer Texas will be following the action closely as it unfolds in the Houston area, attending multiple matches a week and providing the best coverage in the state, with Photo Galleries, Match Reports and Social Media posts that will help increase the exposure of teams and players in the Lone Star State.   On Tuesday, February 10, we attended the match between the two undefeated teams in District 18, the Memorial Mustangs and the Stratford Spartans. It was an intense and competitive match, which ended in a 2-2 tie.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Memorial vs. Stratford - <a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2026/02/texas-hs-memorial-vs-stratford-photos/">Photos</a></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/DUmo5d7Dkbs/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   With the result, Stratford end the first round of district play at the top of the standings with six wins and a tie. Memorial are second with five victories and two ties.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    The sophomore was very solid in goal and helped Memorial endure Stratford's pressure for part of the match. With their opponents having more of the ball, Thames was frequently called to action and responded very well. She was very reliable with her saves, not giving up rebounds, and also did well in the air, being the first to get to crosses. Thames also communicated well with her teammates and was accurate with most of her punts.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0004_3695bc.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350192" /></figure>    The freshman was the focal point of Memorial's offense and was a constant threat in the final third with her intensity and quality on the ball. Sadlowski used her body very well to get to the end of long passes and worked well with her back to the goal. She showed a well-diversified game, at times dropping back to get on the ball and make plays, and on other occasions attacking the back line with runs in behind. Sadlowski also fired some dangerous shots on goal, showing quality to finish with both feet.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0080_65f667.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350220" /></figure>    The freshman was very firm in central defense for Memorial and anchored their defensive system with power and precision. Bechtol thrived with her positioning and, on many occasions, left her spot to pop up at the right place to make stops. She did well in physical duels, timing her tackles extremely well, and also dominated in the air. Bechtol supported the offense on some occasions and, in one of them, fired a great shot that went just over the crossbar during the second half.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0075_631c8e.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350216" /></figure>    The senior was very active in midfield, having a big impact on her team's attacking plays with her intelligent game. Camin facilitated many plays with smart first-time passes in the center of the field and also had some good runs on the ball through the center of the field that helped Memorial get the ball in the final third. She did very well in following up on a Sadlowski shot that hit the crossbar in the second half, picking up the rebound to score the team's second goal. Camin was also very determined and present defensively, competing for the ball in the center of the field.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0068_03af9d.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350214" /></figure>    The senior was the engine of Stratford's midfield, getting on the ball a lot and always doing good things when she had it. Benton distributed the ball with great intelligence, constantly feeding the forwards in good spots. Drifting more to the left side of the attack, she also made a difference with her dribbling, always finding ways to create space in crowded areas with creative moves. Benton helped Stratford win possession on many occasions, reading plays intelligently and stepping up to cut passing lanes.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0073_156b55.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350215" /></figure>    The junior formed a solid midfield duo with Benton, matching her intensity and quality on the ball and helping Stratford dominate the central area of the field during part of the match. Beviacaqua was very intense defensively, doing a good job of challenging opponents and intercepting passes to come out with the ball. She also provided nice support to the Spartans' offense, connecting accurate passes and infiltrating into the penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0085_e5e408.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350221" /></figure>    The freshman was very good as a left-side center back, showing impressive maturity and decision-making in her defensive action. Brendel was constantly matched up with Memorial's top forward [player_tooltip player_id='285899' first='Ava' last='Sadlowski'], and held her own against her, doing a good job of not allowing her much space and keeping her away from the penalty box. She displayed great chemistry with fellow center back [player_tooltip player_id='148753' first='Zoe' last='Lawless'] as they were both always ready to cover each other when needed. Brendel also did well on the ball, showing confidence in possession and connecting most of her passes.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0024_37cd94.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350198" /></figure>    The sophomore was an important offensive weapon for the Spartans, being particularly active in the second half of the match. With Stratford struggling to find space to beat Memorial's strong defensive system in the center of the field, Hewitt's plays on the wing were an interesting option for them. Playing on the left side of their attack, she was very aggressive on the ball and had good success when going at defenders out wide and taking the ball to the end line to cross it.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/02/2J4A0059_408299.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-350210" /></figure>

District play continues to progress in the Texas high school soccer season, as, since the middle of January, teams from all over the Lone Star State began playing their regional rivals for spots in the playoffs.