Goalkeepers Hard to Beat at Aggieland Friendship Cup

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a few weeks of preseason, league play is about to start in the club soccer season in Texas, and this past weekend teams from all over the Lone Star State took the final steps in their preparations by taking part in friendlies and scrimmages.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Many of them were in College Station, which hosted the 2026 edition of the Aggieland Friendship Cup, a two-day event that featured more than 150 teams over the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2026/08/aggieland-friendship-cup-day-1-photos/">Aggieland Friendship Cup - Day 1 Photos</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2026/08/aggieland-friendship-cup-day-2-photos/">Aggieland Friendship Cup - Day 2 Photos</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Soccer Texas was on site on both days following the contests, and between Saturday and Sunday, we were able to watch portions of as many as 15 matches in different age groups.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We featured the top performers from those matches over the weekend, so now it's time to take a deep dive and explore another group of players who stood out during their games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, we look into the goalkeepers:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["385600"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca5d86705f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rodríguez-Castaneda was with the [program_tooltip program_id='283457' first='San' last='Antonio City SC'] U19 team that defeated Sting Royal RL U19 1-0 and [program_tooltip program_id='283319' first='Dynamos' last='SC'] RL STXCL U19 3-0 in College Station. Her team didn't get clean sheets in both their matches by accident, and even though their backline was rock solid, the goalkeeper also had to step up on a few occasions and did so with tremendous efficiency. Rodríguez-Castaneda stood out for her positioning, which helped her make saves and claim crosses, and was always very safe with her actions. She also showed calm and confidence on the ball, taking her time to move it and doing so intelligently and accurately.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":385556,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0018_9616f4.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-385556" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["347530"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca9fd75b72"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Lurie helped her [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] RL U16 triumph in both matches they played, defeating both [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] U15 and [program_tooltip program_id='342634' first='FC' last='Westlake'] White RL U16 1-0. She was very good against the Texans, coming up with big saves in the second half of the match and helping her team protect its lead until the end. Lurie was very reliable with her shot-stopping, getting to difficult shots and not spilling them or giving up rebounds. The goalkeeper also thrived in the air, intelligently leaving her spot to claim crosses and making great split-second decisions on when to go for the ball or keep her spot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":385580,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0121_debf66.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-385580" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":385770,"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca9fd75c05"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Huseman was with the Sting Royal RL U16 team that lost to both [program_tooltip program_id='342634' first='FC' last='Westlake'] U15 and [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] U15 3-2. Even though her team ended on the wrong side of both matches, the goalkeeper's play kept them in the game on both occasions. Huseman was under constant pressure between the posts and responded well, making strong saves and denying the opponents multiple opportunities to score. She did well when challenging opponents 1v1, was successful when claiming crosses and was very consistent in general.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":385771,"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca9fd75c86"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">McKinley and her [program_tooltip program_id='283457' first='San' last='Antonio City SC'] U16 team returned home with a win and a loss after falling to [program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC'] U15 2-1 and beating Challenge Aggieland RL STXCL U17 2-0. A goalkeeper with good size and solid instincts, she efficiently used her long frame to get to shots on the upper corners. McKinley also proved to be very quick with her moves and agile, taking no time to get to the ground to make stops when needed. The goalkeeper used her feet well, distributing the ball efficiently and connecting some nice lofted passes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":385571,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0080.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-385571" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["278973"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca9fd75d0d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Allen was the starting goalkeeper in the [program_tooltip program_id='283243' first='Albion' last='Hurricanes FC'] U16 team that defeated [program_tooltip program_id='278668' first='Lonestar' last=''] ATX Royal RL U16 1-0 and downed [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] RL U17 8-0. I got to watch her against the Texans, and even if her shot-stopping wasn't much tested with her team largely dominating the game, she demonstrated great focus. Allen was always ready to reach when her team needed her, and made a couple of good saves on long-distance shots. She was also very quick to leave her spot and get to a pass in behind the backline, stopping what could have been a good chance for the Texans.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":385647,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0041_35c34d.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-385647" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":385772,"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6a8ca9fd75d8e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Colon and her [program_tooltip program_id='283311' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] U14 team had a mixed weekend in College Station, losing to [program_tooltip program_id='283282' first='Challenge' last='SC'] RL U15 2-1 on Saturday and beating San Antonio City U15 1-0 on Sunday. The energetic goalkeeper was instrumental in their success, producing big-time saves that helped them preserve their lead until the end. Despite not being very tall, she showed a strong game between the posts, using different techniques to make stops and keep the ball off the goal. Colon also communicated very well with her teammates, keeping the backline organized and engaged.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:image {"id":385664,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2026/08/2J4A0089_d3720b.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-385664" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->