Wednesday, January 7, 2015

National girls soccer tournament to feature area’s top programs

BY KEVIN LONNQUISTKLONNQUIST@STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
01/05/2015 11:59 AM  01/05/2015 11:59 AM

The turn of the calendar into the New Year signals that district basketball is underway. But Thursday also represents the beginning of the high school soccer season.

And Carroll is the host for one of the nation’s top girls tournaments. On Thursday, the National Elite Prep Showcase begins at several locations, including Carroll’s Dragon Stadium. The tournament features 37 teams from Texas, California and Florida.

The three-day event is spread between Carroll, Fort Worth Nolan, Fort Worth’s Gateway Park and Keller. As you would expect, several of our coverage teams are competing, including Carroll, Colleyville Heritage, Grapevine, Keller and Byron Nelson. Those teams make sense since they have been the most consistent squads the area has produced in recent years.

Of course, Byron Nelson is coming off an appearance at the then 2014 Class 4A state tournament. Meanwhile, Carroll has the makings of a team that will compete for a state championship in 2015.

TopDrawerSoccer.com came out with its winter Top 50 girls teams on Dec. 23. And this tournament features just about every ranked team playing in this tournament. OK, not really. But it’s close.

The likes of defending then-5A state champion Lewisville Hebron and state finalist Plano West will be there, along with private school powers Ursuline and Nolan. Check that site for all of the times of the games to find your favorite team.

This round-robin tournament is the ideal way to begin the season. Make sure you bundle up, because it is going to be really cold out. Temperatures are expected to not break 50 for the rest of the week.


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