Struyk is one of the highest-ranked outside backs in the new Rankings, appearing in 16th place among the defenders and 66th overall. She’s a standout on the Lake Creek High School team and a day in day out starter in the Albion Hurricanes FC U17 team in the ECNL League. Capable of playing on both outside backs, Struyk makes a big impact in the offensive side of the game, using her long legs to cover ground on and off teh ball and quickly get into the final third. She’s skilled enough to beat opponents off the dribble and is very accurate with her crossing. Struyk also gets the job done defensively, playing with good energy and using her frame well to win duels and protect the space behind her back.

Struyk is part of the Albion Hurricanes FC G09 team that will be tested against Lonestar ‘ last=’SC’] RL G08 and Sting Black G09 at the Aggieland Friendship Cup. A recent Texas A&M commit, she’s one of the team’s main offensive weapons, despite playing as an outside back. Struyk is excellent at driving the ball forward and she’s very difficult to stop when she gets going because she covers ground very quickly and is capable of switching directions in no time. Struyk, who can also play on the left, is very well-versed offensively, being capable of beating opponents out wide and crossing the ball into the penalty box or coming inside to finish chances. Her ability to cover ground also helps her when she needs to defend in transition, but she’s also very strong in 1v1 duels, using her 5’9″ frame to dominate opponents.

Struyk and her Albion Hurricanes FC G09 team will have United Futbol Academy, Santa Rosa United and Phoenix Rising as their opponents in North Carolina. Capable of playing on both outside back spots, she makes a major offensive impact on her teams with her ability to operate in the final third. Struyk uses her long legs extremely well to cover ground while on the ball and has excellent vision and decision-making in the attacking half, finding good passes and getting the ball to teammates in great spots. She also holds her own defensively, protecting the space behind her back extremely well and thriving in 1v1 duels.

Struyk was very active at the right back position for Albion. She ran up and down the field the entire time, offering her team an interesting attacking weapon. Struyk was very difficult to stop when she got going because of how long her steps were and how well she was able to shield the ball, and she was very successful at bringing the ball inside on some occasions, like the one in which she assisted Corcoran for the goal, where she could find decisive passes. She also handled her defensive duties well, using her big frame to win duels and keep opponents under control.

Another sophomore, Struyk stood out in Lake Creek’s backline with a very solid performance. She played everywhere across the backline, appearing at both outside back spots and also as a central defender, and did great defensive work, using her big frame to win duels and control the space. Struyk was at her best when used in her natural outside back role and she did a great job of consistently joining the attack. She used her long legs to quickly progress on the field and delivered some great crosses, especially in the first half. Struyk scored the team’s third goal in a great play in which she drove the ball into the penalty box and hit a well-placed cross-shot.

Struyk was part of the Albion Hurricanes FC team that completed its schedule in the event with one win and two losses. I got to watch her in the team’s only triumph, a 1-0 victory over Eclipse Select, and she was very active as a left back for them. Struyk was very solid defensively, going with great energy to win duels and using her positioning to intercept through balls that aimed the space behind her. The outside back also appeared well in the final third, using her long legs to efficiently cover ground and overlap on the left, offering a passing option to her teammates.

Struyk is a defender on the AHFC ECNL 09 team. She listed as a midfielder on her player profile, but I’ve mainly seen her play as an outside back. Struyk is 5’9, athletic, and competitive. She already checks a lot of boxes to suggest she will me an impact player at the next level. She is tenacious in the tackle and a flyer on the wing. She will get forward and make an impact. She is a player who should grow into a bigger role as the season progresses.