FRISCO, Texas (Dec. 5, 2016) – The opening weekend for the 2016-17 National League Girls season is in the books with four North Texas Soccer teams competing.
National League veterans and 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships finalists Dallas Kicks SC 00 and 2016 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships finalists Solar Chelsea 02 Hopkins went 2-2, while National League newcomers Solar Chelsea 00 Bates and Solar Chelsea 99 went 1-3 and 0-4 respectively.
Under-15 Girls
Solar 02 got off to a rough start in its first National League match with a 7-1 loss to Arsenal FC Brown (CA-S). Solar would rebound in the second day by notching its first win of the tournament 3-2 over Chicago Fire Juniors South Premier (IL) with 2015 National Champions Raigen Powell and Taylor Conway notching goals for the North Texas Side. Solar would earn its second win in as many days against Tennessee SC 2002 Showcase (TN) 3-2 thanks to a brace from Powell and a goal from North Texas Olympic Development Program (ODP) player Makhiya McDonald. Current Blue Division leader Legends FC 02 Academy (CA-S) got the best of Solar on the final day of play with a 5-0 win. Powell, a Under-14 USWNT pool player, has three goals so far, which is tied for seventh in the age group.
Under-17 Girls
Dallas Kicks fell to 2016 National Championships semifinalists FC Pride 00 Elite (IN) 3-0 on the opening day, but responded with a 2-0 win on day two against LMSC Storm (PA-E). 2015 National Championships Golden Ball winner Jaida Thomas scored both goals. Thomas would net four more goals in Dallas Kicks SC’s third game – along with a Mackenzie Stricklin brace and a goal from Alliyah Marquez as the Kicks defeated Premier Strikers (MD) 7-0. The three-time North Texas State Cup champions would narrowly miss out on earning points in three straight games with a 3-2 loss to undefeated Scottsdale Blackhawks Taylor (AZ). Thomas added her age group-leading seventh goal, while Stricklin scored her third, but it would not be enough as the Kicks currently sit in third place in the Red Division behind Scottsdale and FC Pride.
Solar Chelsea 00 Bates dropped its first ever National League match 5-2 with goals coming from Caylen Wright and Region III ODP player Josephine Knight. Solar would fall just short of a comeback from four goals down against Greater Seattle Surf 00A (WA) with Ashley Carter, Wright and Melissa Blanchette finding the back of the net, but the deficit was too large to overcome with Surf winning 4-3. Solar would earn its first National League points with a 5-0 win over FC Alliance 00 (TN) on day three. Carter scored a brace, while Madison Humphrey, Blanchette and Wright would add goals as well. Two first-half goals would give Cleveland FC (OH-N) the 2-0 win over Solar on the final day. Solar currently sits in seventh place of the White Division.
Under-18 Girls
Solar Chelsea 99 were defeated by 2015 National Championships semifinalist FC Penn Strikers (PA-E) 4-0 in its first National League match. Solar had a 2-1 lead over Kings Hammer Academy (OH-S) in the second half thanks go goals from Lauren Sartin and Kylie Hampton, but two late goals would give the Ohio South side the 3-2 win. 2016 National Championship semifinalists FCKC Academy Blues Elite 99 (MO) defeated Solar 2-0 in the third match, and the North Texas side would fall to South Carolina United FC 99 Elite (SC) 5-2 in its final match of the weekend with Solar’s goals coming from Hampton and Mary Kate Mikula.