ECNL Texas: Center backs who dominated the 08 division

The ECNL Girls soccer League held its second National Event in the 2025 calendar year a couple of weekends ago, in Dallas, Texas, featuring three days of action involving over 200 teams from the entire country at the Toyota Soccer Center and the MoneyGram Soccer Park.   Despite the cold weather, some really exciting matches were held and some of the most talented prospects in the country were able to deliver excellent performances as they continue to prepare for the final portion of the season.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/02/ecnl-texas-day-1-photos/">ECNL Texas: Day 1 Photos</a></li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/02/ecnl-texas-day-2-photos/">ECNL Texas: Day 2 Photos</a></li> </ul>   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepsoccer.com/2025/02/ecnl-texas-day-3-photos/">ECNL Texas: Day 3 Photos</a></li> </ul>   Prep Soccer Texas was in attendance during all three days of action in Dallas, covering dozens of matches and taking a look at hundreds of the players who got on the field during the extended weekend.   We'll continue to feature the players who impressed us with their games this week, this time in the 08 division, and now it's time we point out the center backs who were forces in their team's backlines:    Pittman played for the Kansas City Athletics team that had a win and two losses in Dallas. I got to watch her team in their final match in the event, a 3-2 loss to OK Energy FC, in which she had a strong defensive performance and also the team's second goal in a header. Pittman did a good job of using her physical tools to dominate the space, stopping many attempts of long passes with headers and also reading the game extremely well to make interceptions around the penalty box. The center back was also very confident on the ball, dribbling in tight areas to create space and passing with efficiency.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0017_1c65e7.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279809" /></figure>    Myers was part of the backline of the Richmond United side that completed its schedule in Dallas with two wins and one loss. She had a very solid performance in their last match in the event, a 3-2 win over Sting Austin on Monday. Myers displayed good versatility playing as center back on both the right and the left sides and was very efficient and reliable with her actions, stepping up at the right times to make defensive plays inside and around the penalty box. The defender also did a good job in possession, connecting smart passes out of the back and advancing with the ball when she had the space to do it.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbTdJkiPhbo </div></figure>    Venson was one of the center backs of the Sting Austin team that returned home with two wins and one loss. I got to watch them in the only match the team conceded, a 3-2 loss to Richmond United, and Venson displaying interesting skills. The center back, who two days ago had scored her team's game-winning goal against Eclipse Select with a header, was very active defensively, using her long frame and excellent positioning to win duels and protect the penalty box. Venson also appeared well in possession, distributing the game well from the backline and making some runs forward to support the offense.    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Day 1 W for <a href="https://twitter.com/stingatx_2008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stingatx_2008</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ECNLTX?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ECNLTX</a> …🔵⚪️⚽️‼️ <a href="https://t.co/MBx6HReNPj">pic.twitter.com/MBx6HReNPj</a>— Mia Wiele, Texas Tech Womens Soccer ‘30 (@MiaWiele) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiaWiele/status/1890831241680670754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2025</a></blockquote>    Mayer was part of the Solar SC team that went undefeated in the event, with one win and two losses. I caught them on Monday, the last day of the event, when heavy legs on both sides, contributed to a high-scoring 3-3 tie with De Anza Force. With many of her teammates tired, Mayer was often exposed to 1v1 situations, but she handled most of them extremely well, stepping up to make stops. Playing on the left side of their backline, she was called to cover her teammates on a few occasions and also did a good job of intercepting passes.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0124_263869.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279842" /></figure>    Murray and her [program_tooltip program_id='278678' first='Dallas' last='Texans'] teammates concluded the event with two wins and one loss. I got to watch them on Monday, the last day of action, when they came from behind to beat the Rockford Raptors 4-1 having the center back as one of the best players on the field. Murray was a rock on the backline, appearing well on multiple occasions to make defensive plays and stop what could have been promising plays from their opponents. The defender did good work with the ball, playing a major role in the team's buildup by connecting good passes out of the back and breaking the Raptors' pressure.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/02/2J4A0146.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-279849" /></figure>    Judson was with the Minnesota Thunder Academy team that secured a win, a tie and a loss in Texas. They has a highly competitive match with FC Dallas on Monday, which ended with the home side winning 1-0, in which the center back had a solid shift. Judson helped limit the opportunities for opposing attackers with her great positioning and her firmness to win duels. With Minnesota looking for a goal until the end, she spent part of the second half playing as a forward and showed good quality with the ball in the attacking half.

The ECNL Girls soccer League held its second National Event in the 2025 calendar year a couple of weekends ago, in Dallas, Texas, featuring three days of action involving over 200 teams from the entire country at the Toyota Soccer Center and the MoneyGram Soccer Park.