ECNL: A Lonestar statement in the Texas Conference
By Jimmy LaRoue
In a highly competitive ECNL Texas Conference, Lonestar SC’s U-17s have yet to lose in seven conference matches, going 6-0-1 while scoring 24 goals and giving up just two, coming off their latest win, 2-0 over Dallas Sting.
The two teams had come into the match tied on points, and Lonestar managed to hand Sting its first loss of the season. Two others aren’t far behind, as D’Feeters Soccer Club is 5-2-1 and tied with Sting on points with 16, while the Dallas Texans have played fewer games, but are 4-1-1 and are not far back with 13 points.
Lonestar, the 2012 Texas Conference champions and 2011 ECNL national champions, had a difficult time at the league’s Phoenix National Event, winning just once in three tries, but has bounced back in going unbeaten in its last four matches (3-0-1). Lonestar is looking at the bottom of the conference with its upcoming matches against Solar-Chelsea Soccer Club (0-2-2) and TSC Hurricane (0-7-0) before matches against Texans and a rematch against Sting in mid-November on back-to-back days.
In U-18 play, CASL Chelsea Ladies (5-0-2), three-time defending ECNL champions, has strong Southeast Conference challengers in Gwinnett Soccer Association (6-1-1) and Concorde Fire (7-2-1), but are so far the only conference team without a loss. On the road in Florida over the past weekend, CASL tied VSI West FL Flames 1-1 and pulled out a 2-1 win over Orlando City YS. CASL is off from league play for a couple of weekends until returning to action Nov. 10.
In U-15s, Concorde Fire continued its blistering start to the season with two more wins on the road over the weekend, a 2-0 win over Atlanta Fire and a 1-0 win over Carolina Elite Soccer Academy. Concorde Fire moved to 9-0-1 on the season. Gabriela Rivera had a goal and an assist in the win over Atlanta, while Lily Barron had the team’s lone goal in the win over CESA.
Rivera is tied for the team lead in scoring with eight goals, along with Katie MacGinnitie, who also has four assists. Concorde has scored 35 goals on the season and has given up just three, and surrendering no goals in the last five matches.
