COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – OK club soccer fans, the name of the game this week in Texas is FREEZE.

It was so cold in Texas Thursday night…(insert punch line here).  It was brutally cold. It was so cold I couldn’t feel my toes and my fingers literally would not write to take notes.

On top of that, some of the fields here at Texas A&M University, scheduled for four days of use by the way, were mostly mud due to a softball tournament played there in recent days, plus heavy rains earlier in the week. Apparently someone decided this was a good time to drive some heavy equipment or carts onto the fields, so you had some lovely ruts to go on these fields as well (the other end of the Penberthy facility featured fields in much better condition).

But in the spirit of American can-doism, the young ladies competing in the U.S. Youth Soccer National League got after it anyway. Thursday was opening night in league play, with the competition played as part of existing showcase events through the year (and in this case the NCAA Women’s College Cup). The new rival to the league, the Elite Clubs National League, begins play Friday, and will share some of the venues here.

Thursday I was able to see parts of a few good games (scroll down for results, courtesy U.S. Youth Soccer). In a U15 game, So Cal Blues were coping with the mud and cold as best they could against a talented  Sockers FC team. Blues midfielder Bella Hernandez plays a smart game in midfield with good touches and quality decision-making. Forward Amber Munerlyn is very dangerous up front due to her speed, and she showed some craftiness in taking a nice goal from distance. Kelly McCann was aggressive and smart in defense with her reads and steps.

For Sockers, Michelle Mottonen is another smart midfield player, making good decisions on the ball. Defender Gianna Dal Pozzo also showed intelligent reads and steps, plus a good ability to distribute accurately out of the back, almost like another midfield player for Nilton Batata’s team.

In the Naperville Fireballs match vs. San Diego Surf, there were a number of players for the California team I liked, but their roster information wasn’t included with the team packet. For Naperville, Katherine Short showed some smart touches and very good vision to spray the ball around the field (although the mud made this more difficult than usual).

In U16 play, Dallas Texans and Cleveland put on a great show (on one of the better fields). Texans were up 2-0 in the 2nd half, but Elizabeth Bollinger fired home a rocket to make it 2-1 and then Florida-bound Jillian Graff scrambled one in to tie the game at 2-2. Texans answered quickly however as Taylor Schneider scored a goal of the year candidate, driving home a shot into the upper 90 from 25 yards out to give Texans a 3-2 lead they would not relinquish. Rosa Medina made a series of strong saves, including three in five minutes on CFC’s Dayton verbal, Kelsey Smigel.

CFC left back Jaclyn Campo is uncommitted and should be the target of many schools. She is a good athlete with good size and can deliver a ball up the flank or into the area with accuracy and purpose. The Texans team is loaded with talented players including outside back Whitney Jaynes, a Texas recruit, who earned her keep and then some with hard work in the back line Thursday. Jana Jeffrey was active winning many balls in the middle and also scored a goal of her own, while Taylor Grant always looked dangerous up front.

And then it just got too cold to watch anymore, but I will be back out this morning (with a new hat and gloves purchased tonight).

Full results courtesy of U.S. Youth Soccer:

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS (Dec. 3, 2009) – Elite youth teams from across the country in the Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 Girls age groups kicked off the US Youth Soccer National League play at Penberthy Fields in College Station, Texas Thursday.