ECNL Boys Texas National Event preview

ECNL Boys Texas National Event preview
by Travis Clark
March 3, 2022

One hundred club teams are heading to Texas for this weekend’s Boys ECNL National Event in Round Rock.

Along with a National Selection Game on Saturday night, teams will compete three times in three days as the season continues.

Below is a look at some of the teams to watch heading to Texas.

U15

Texas teams are dominant in all three age groups, though this weekend is a chance for those sides to get out of state competition. DKSC leads the Texas Conference at this age group with a record of 12-2-1, and gets games against La Roca FC, Sporting Iowa and Eclipse Select.

The latter side has played just a couple of games, but the strong club side has a decent level of talent on the boys side. Northern California power Santa Clara Sporting has played eight games so far, starting off with a 6-1-1 record.

Sporting Iowa’s matchup against DKSC will be a good test for the club team that’s fared well so far in conference play. A 9-0-1 in Heartland Conference action is a positive place to be heading into this trip.

Another team that’s playing well – and gets a test against DKSC – is the La Roca side out of Utah. With 50 goals in 13 games, the team knows how to find the back of the net. Games against Solar SC and Houston Dynamo Youth wrap up the weekend.

The other Texas sides to know includes some of the familiar sides: FC Dallas, Dallas Texans Academy, OK Energy FC and Tulsa FC all have solid records.

U16

Houston Dynamo Youth is one of the standout ECNL sides from the Texas Conference, sitting on a 10-1-1 record in league play. An opening weekend matchup versus Real Colorado kicks off the three-day stretch, followed by a matchup with Sporting Iowa and Eclipse Select SC.

Unsurprisingly, FC Dallas also has a strong record at this age group. A stingy defense has conceded just 11 goals in 14 games, holding a record of 11-2-1 against Texas opposition.

California teams are few and far between at this event, but Santa Clara Sporting is one of the teams making the journey in. It’ll mark a return to competitive action since breaking for high school soccer, though the team enjoyed a strong fall, holding a 7-1-3 record. They open against DKSC, before facing Tulsa SA and finishing against Lonestar SC NTH.

Other Texas sides from both the North and South Divisions that have enjoyed success in this age group are Rise SC, Albion Hurricanes, Tulsa SC and OK Energy FC.

U17

Strong starts to Heartland Conference play for both KC Scott Gallagher and SLSG-MO will be put to the test in Texas. Both have played just four games so far this season, but both have won their quartet of games in convincing fashion. KC opens up against FC Wisconsin on Saturday, before taking on OK Energy FC and Rise SC. SLSG-MO takes on a tough slate of Texas Conference sides, beginning with Albion Hurricanes, before facing FC Dallas and then finishing up against Solar.

A formidable side from the Mountain Conference, Utah Avalanche has stitched together a 9-2-2 record heading into the weekend. An opening game against an undefeated Santa Clara Sporting side is a tough test, though the latter hasn’t played since November. Albion Hurricanes Regional League team is the next opponent, before finishing versus FC Delco.

There are obviously some of the other top teams from the Texas Conference competing. Lonestar SC STH is second in the South Division, and will face New Mexico Rush, Real Colorado and Indiana Elite. FC Dallas also has a strong record at the oldest age group competing here (12-2-1). Games against La Roca FC, the matchup against SLSG-MO and Real Colorado.

Related Topics: ECNL
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