American-Statesman’s Girls 2019 soccer preview: Our Starting 11 and teams to watch
Preseason Power Poll: The American-Statesman's Top 10 girls soccer team
1. Round Rock, Class 6A, 19-3-3 in 2018
Regional finalist lost to eventual state champion Houston Memorial, returns 14 letter-winners.
2. Vandegrift, 6A, 12-5-4
Strong program and a new coach had impressive debut last weekend at Dallas tournament.
3. Pflugerville, 5A, 14-9-2
A vastly improved 6A team in 2018, Panthers a drop down to 5A and return of standout MaKenzie Harvey to make them playoff threat.
4. Westwood, 6A, 13-4-4
Head coach Malcolm Framjee is 6-0 in first round of playoffs and Warriors once again boast a stellar midfield.
5. Liberty Hill, 4A, 27-3-0
State semifinalists had 23 shutouts in 2018 and return a team that should make a repeat run.
6. Lake Travis, 6A, 14-8-4
Extremely strong fundamentals with a lot of team speed make Cavaliers a team to watch in District 25-6A.
7. Rouse, 5A, 19-3-1
Solid defense, veteran core return for Raiders in a very tough District 17-5A.
8. Hendrickson, 6A, 14-5-4
State titlist from 2017 boast talent, depth throughout program.
9. Westlake, 6A, 12-4-5
Chaps bypassed preseason matches for a team retreat and open district Jan. 11.
10. Cedar Park, 5A, 17-6-3
Traditional power has two strong district foes but has made three state tournaments.
Our Starting 11: A look at some of the top players in the Austin area
Lauren Traywick, goalkeeper, senior, Round Rock: All-state quality keeper for veteran team, Traywick a leader in goal.
Kenzie Arrington, defender, senior, Hendrickson: Seasoned defender who started for 2017 state champions led a defense that allowed 12 goals in 23 matches last season.
Kyla Boliek, defender, senior, Liberty Hill: Primary defender for a state semifinalist Panther team that notched 23 shutouts last season while allowing only seven goals in 30 matches.
Delaney Carrell, defender, senior, Rouse: Defensive stalwart for a 2018 regional quarterfinalist Raiders team that allowed only 14 goals against in 23 matches.
Brooke Briscoe, midfield, senior, Liberty Hill: The American-Statesman's 2018 player of the year scored 40 goals with 39 assists last season while leading the Panthers to the state tournament.
Mia Czarnecki, midfield, senior, Austin High: Czarnecki led District 25-5A with 45 goals and added 25 assists to lead Maroons to school-record 22 wins.
Leah Martinez, midfield, senior, Westwood: Team captain for the Warriors directs well-oiled midfield.
Sofia Picucci, midfield, sophomore, Dripping Springs: As a dynamic freshman, speedster led regional-quarterfinalist Tigers with 19 goals and 14 assists.
Haley Shaw, forward, junior, Lake Travis: Speedster scored 22 goals with eight assists for regional finalists and leads a strong core for 2019.
Emily Stuckey, forward, senior, Georgetown: Team captain possesses tremendous pace and exceptional foot skills for district co-favorite Eagles.
MaKenzie Harvey, forward, senior, Pflugerville: Started on state champion Hendrickson as a sophomore — sat out last year to finish career playing for dad/coach Mike Harvey at Pflugerville.
Butch Hart, AA-S correspondent