Girls Academy U17: Defenses prevail as Rise and A. Dallas tie 0-0

The 2025-2026 Girls Academy season is about to reach its halfway point, which will be marked by the league's traditional Winter Showcase, which this year will take place from December 4-9, in Norco, CA.   Like we've been doing for a few years now, Prep Soccer Texas continues to follow the teams from the Lone Star State throughout the season, covering matches and producing photos, articles and social media posts of the duels involving the most talented players from the state.   On Sunday, November 16, we covered the U17 match between Rise SC and [program_tooltip program_id='333974' first='Atletico' last='Dallas'] at Rise South Campus, in Houston.   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>Rise SC G09 vs. [program_tooltip program_id='333974' first='Atletico' last='Dallas'] G09 - Photos</li> </ul>   Both defensive systems were extremely solid throughout the entire 90 minutes, not giving attacking players many opportunities to score, as we got to the end of the match with a 0-0 tie.   With the point earned, Rise got to 18 (five wins, three ties, seven losses) in the Frontier Conference standings, ranking seventh. [program_tooltip program_id='333974' first='Atletico' last='Dallas'] have 24 points (six wins, six ties, one loss) and appear in third place.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Players of the Match</h2>    Playing in the center of Rise's back three, Schultz was the main pillar of their defensive system. She worked very well with fellow center backs Christian Atwood and [player_tooltip player_id='229580' first='Delaney' last='Perry'] as the three denied [program_tooltip program_id='333974' first='Atletico' last='Dallas'] any real goalscoring opportunities throughout the match. Schultz was excellent with her positioning, used her pace to cover both sides of the backline and was very firm and reliable with her defensive actions. She also demonstrated tremendous quality and confidence on the ball, moving it forward with accurate passes and strong runs through the middle.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0007_58b6e2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-339989" /></figure>    Baltazar was very intense and dynamic in the center of the field for Rise. The central midfielder didn't stop running and covered a lot of ground both on and off the ball, dominating the area with her high-energy game. Baltazar was constantly on the ball and had some success progressing it on the field with nice runs down the middle. She also moved the ball very well, connecting some interesting long passes to the team's wide players in the attacking half, and was very good with her deliveries in set pieces.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0017_605050.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-339995" /></figure>    Medeiros' play wasn't the most consistent, and she would, at times, go somewhat long periods without getting on the ball, but she did good things more often than not in the final third. Playing more to the right side of Rise's offense, she made some nice plays down the line, sending crosses into the penalty box and earning corner kicks for her team. Medeiros used her body very well in the final third, winning duels for the ball and making turns on defenders to beat them as she tried to get into the box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0082.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-340022" /></figure>    Arguably Atletico's most technical player, Alcaraz had a strong performance for them in midfield. Her ball control and intelligence showed every time she had possession, as she was able to maneuver it around opponents with soft touches and create space in crowded areas. Alcaraz also displayed great vision, setting up nice attacking plays with well-weighted passes behind Rise's backline. Despite not being very physical, she also made an impact on defense, dispossessing opponents and winning duels with smart actions.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0067_e13360.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-340014" /></figure>    One of Atletico's captains, Key was one of the backbones of their defensive system. Playing as a right-sided center back, she was very active defensively, dominating the penalty box and clearing crosses. She also stood out when she had to defend in space, using her body extremely well to win physical duels and displaying calm and intelligence to walk away with the ball, connecting nice passes. She also did a good job of sending free kicks into the penalty box.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0046_03123b.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-340009" /></figure>    A dynamic attacking player, Nelson had good moments in the match for Atletico. She started the game playing on the right side and stayed very wide, making nice plays for her team. Nelson also spent some time playing more centrally and continued to be aggressive and direct, pushing the ball forward every time she had possession. She also made some nice diagonal runs off the ball, coming from the middle to the sides and attacking the space behind the backline.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepsoccer.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/11/2J4A0006_ca45c6.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-339988" /></figure>

The 2025-2026 Girls Academy season is about to reach its halfway point, which will be marked by the league's traditional Winter Showcase, which this year will take place from December 4-9, in Norco, CA.