Girls Academy Frontier: SA City SC 08 vs. STLDA 08

We, at Prep Soccer Texas, will follow as many matches and players as possible, paying close attention to everything that happens in the MLS Next, ECNL National and Regional Leagues and Girls Academy League, as well as showcases and tournaments, giving the talented players from the Lone Star State the exposure they deserve.   On Monday, October 14, we visited the Gosling Sports Fields, in The Woodlands, to catch the Girls Academy Frontier Conference match between SA City SC 08 and St. Louis Development Academy 08.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2024/10/girls-academy-frontier-sa-city-08-vs-stlda-08-photos/">Girls Academy Frontier: SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08 - Photos </a></li> </ul>   SA City had a promising start as they scored first, just a few minutes into the match, with a beautiful long shot by Heide Berchelmann. STLDA then settled and started to show their dominance. With a hat trick by Avery Henage and one goal from each of Gabie Klaven and Morgan Smith, they went into the halftime break with a comfortable break. The pace of the game dropped in the second half, but the team from Missouri was still able to score another two, with [player_tooltip player_id='149749' first='Caroline' last='Conley'] and Ashley Forbes, sealing their 7-1 victory.   With 15 points (five wins, two losses), STLDA rank third in the Frontier Conference standings. SA City SC have one point (five losses, one tie) and are at the bottom, in ninth place.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    The forward ignited STLDA's furious comeback with a hat-trick and intense activity on the left side of the team's attack. Henage is clearly a very technical player, but what made of her such a difference-maker against SA City SC was her high soccer IQ, which repeatedly put her in a position to score in different ways. In the first goal, she sensed the opportunity to press a defender on the edge of the penalty box, won the ball and scored. In the second, she followed up on a penalty kick to get to the rebound first and sent the ball into the back of the net. And in the third, she came from the left to get on the end of a cross inside the penalty box. Henage also did a great job of always being available to her teammates.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9934.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270057" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    Forbes played a key role for STLDA, lining up as a striker and operating extremely well with her back to the goal as an advanced playmaker. She was a great target for her teammates, getting on the end of passes and connecting with the attacking players around her with quick, one-touch passes. Forbes also displayed great mobility and quality on the ball, at times making turns and helping create chances around the penalty box. Her hard was rewarded with the team's seventh goal, in which she showed great finishing skills to send a left-footed shot into the back of the net from a difficult spot.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9987.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270067" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    Smith was STLDA's engine in midfield, covering a lot of ground with and without the ball and facilitating the team's game in a variety of ways. She got on the ball a lot and often found great passes that helped the team progress the ball on the field and create chances. Her movement off the ball was always very smart during the team's buildup as she knew exactly when to stay up and pin the opposing defenders inside their own penalty box to open space in the middle of the field or to drop deeper to get on the ball. She engaged in several combination plays through the middle and in one of them scored one of the team's goals with a powerful shot.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9917.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270049" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    Playing on the right side of STLDA's offense, Conley started the match on fire and was the source of most of their chances in the first part of the second half. She had no trouble beating SA City SC's defenders and combined well her physical and technical tools, shielding the ball efficiently and also showing some nice moves. Conley diversified her plays very well, at times making very wide runs almost over the sideline and on other occasions cutting inside to pass or finish. She scored the team's sixth goal in a play which showed great composure inside the penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9817.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270021" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    Klaven played multiple roles for STLDA in the match and delivered consistency and intensity in each of them. She started the match at right back and offered a lot offensively, combining well with Conley out wide and sometimes making diagonal runs to appear outside the penalty box to finish. She scored one of the team's goals off of a corner kick showing strength to attack the near post and the ability to redirect the ball with a header. During the second half, Klaven also spent time at left back and in central defense, keeping her defensive solidness and her ability to win duels and her reliable game in possession.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9992.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270069" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    Berchelmann didn't lack in intensity in the center of the field and her presence there made things a little bit more complicated for STLDA. She covered a lot of ground, got into duels and used her physical tools to stop plays. When in possession, she tried to connect passes and help her team keep the ball, the opponents' high level of pressure at times didn't allow that to happen. Another of Berchelmann's main virtues in the game was her confidence to take her chances in long-distance shots as she scored the team's goal in one of them and forced STLDA's goalkeeper to make a nice save in another one in the second half.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9850.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270028" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    SA City SC were much more competitive in the second half and the team's improvement had a lot to do with Bettis' positional change. She started the match playing up top and did a fine job there, even assisting Berchelmann in her goal, but was much more active playing deeper in the second half. Her ability to keep the ball and find good passes under pressure was extremely valuable for her team as it gave them a break from STLDA's pressure. Even if her plays didn't generate a goal, Bettis made a major contribution to the team's performance.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9929.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270054" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>    SA City SC's backline had a difficult day having to deal with STLDA's offensive power and intensity and, like everyone else on the field, Ford had good and bad moments. What didn't change throughout the match was her determination as the center back fought for every ball and kept pushing her teammates through adversity. Ford is not extremely physical, but makes up for that with good positioning and great pace. She also displayed nice quality on the ball, connecting passes out of the back and attempting some runs through the right side.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2024/10/IMG_9927.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-270053" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">SA City SC G08 vs. St. Louis Development Academy G08</figcaption></figure>

We, at Prep Soccer Texas, will follow as many matches and players as possible, paying close attention to everything that happens in the MLS Next, ECNL National and Regional Leagues and Girls Academy League, as well as showcases and tournaments, giving the talented players from the Lone Star State the exposure they deserve.