A leading video analysis provider, InStat digs into the numbers behind the success (or lack thereof) of players on the field.

In a new monthly feature, TDS will dig into some of the top performances of young players from club, college and professional soccer. Driving the data will be the InStat Index, a number derived by a player’s number of quality action in a game.

Keep in mind that players are only included when their games are added to the database. Below is a look at some of the players that have performed well in October in women’s club and college soccer.

Girls Academy

Hannah Minogue, TSJ FC Virginia 07: It was a torrid October for Minogue, as the Virginia central midfielder piled up the goals. That powered an InStat Index rating of 296, one of the best across club soccer. The Girls Academy League standout finished 75% of her chances, and was more than just a goal scorer. She created five chances across three games, and averaged 11 dribbles per games, which were successful 76% of the time. Even better, Minogue’s team won all three games.

Hope Leyba, Utah Royals AZ 05: The forward from Arizona displayed dominant attacking form across the first five games of the month. She scored two hat tricks, on October 10 against Legends FC and on October 18 versus City SC. Her chance conversion rate was only at 50%, although part of that was driven by one game where she finished just three of nine chances. And like Minogue, she wasn’t just a finisher, averaging two chances created per game.

Sydney Watts, Sporting Blue Valley 04: Huge goal-scoring outings power Watts into this space, despite the fact that she’s playing up as a 2005 with Sporting’s 04 Girls Academy League side. Scoring 14 goals in three games will certainly drive up a player’s InStat Index rating. Watts finished 14 of 25 chances, and then picked up an assist on October 24. Chance creating is also part of her game, averaging two per match.

ECNL

Trinity Byars, Solar SC 02/03: Solar’s dominance of the ECNL this season has been an extreme – and at times, not in a good way. Byars, the No. 2 ranked player in the 2021 IMG Academy player rankings has been one of several players to drive this effort in October. In five games in October, Solar’s scored 45 goals. So part of Byars’ impressive shifts has been her team’s dominance. The Texas-bound striker scored 13 of her team’s goals, converting 59% of her chances during the five-game stretch. One interesting thing about her InStat numbers is that she doesn’t require a high shot volume, hitting that goal total on an average of 5.4 shots per game. And, like the other attackers, she creates as well as finishes, averaging 3.2 chances created per game.

Brynn Baldon, Challenge SC 06: An impressive two-game stretch from Baldon helped to power Challenge to a pair of wins. She converted one of two chances in each game against Oklahoma Celtic on October 17 and Sting Austin on October 4. A 79% of successful dribbles completed was a solid mark for a player lined up on the left, and she created three chances across the two games.

Tyler Isgrig, Solar SC 04: Another Solar player with a prolific output, Isgrig’s InStat mark in three October games sits at an impressive 305. She amassed five goals in two games, but perhaps more impressively, created ample chances for her teammates – a total of 11 in October. A 74% mark of passes completed mark isn’t too shabby either, as a team like Solar tends to dominate the ball.

College

Jaelin Howell, Florida State: Unlike other players that are flagged by InStat, Howell’s not earning positive numbers due to scoring buckets of goals. Instead, the defensive midfielder’s ability to control games, complete passes and win defensive challenges (she won 71% during the month) earns her high marks. One of her more impressive games came in a wild 4-3 win against Virginia back on October 18, where she made 11 interceptions. She spent time with the full U.S. women's national team before returning to the lineup in Thursday's 1-0 win over Duke where she scored the winning goal.

Addie McCain, Texas A&M: A consistent chance-creator for the Aggies during October, McCain was a key factor in her team’s offense, averaging 1.4 chances created per game in four SEC matches this past month. Along with that, she offered a goal-scoring option, scoring twice. At times, she can be a bit turnover prone, as she lost the ball at least 11 times in all four games. In the final game of the month against Alabama, McCain wasn't as active, but she did complete 85% of her passes as the Aggies held off the Crimson Tide.

Yazmeen Ryan, TCU: Undefeated for the bulk of the 2020 season, Ryan’s versatility stands out before even getting into her numbers. InStat has her playing central midfield, forward and left midfielder in October matches. That’s obviously had an influence on her ability to be involved with games, and a big part of her good InStat numbers stem from a very good performance against Iowa State on October 2, and a positive effort versus Kansas on October 23. She scored goals in each of those, but she also completes passes at an impressive clip. There’s little doubt that Ryan is a key player for TCU as they seek to win a Big 12 regular season title in the pandemic-shortened season. She did miss last week's final game of the month against Oklahoma.

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