Column: 2025 Houston Soccer Awards

The 2025 Houston soccer season officially came to an end on Thursday, Oct. 30. Even though the season ended on a sour note, the Cougars have plenty to be proud of in the first season of the Ben Williams era. 

The team improved on their overall record of 4-12-1 from last season, going 7-4-7. They also improved on their Big 12 play record, going from 1-10 last season to 2-4-5.

Despite only gaining one more win in the conference, Houston lowered its loss total by six and drew five times, with some against the top teams in the Big 12 like Texas Tech, Baylor and UCF, showing that they’ve made great strides to be competitive in the conference.

So, to honor the best of the best, soccer lead beat writer Sean Paul presents the 2025 Houston Soccer Awards.

Best Goal: Samira Minor vs. UCF

Our first award came down to two goals, both of which were wonderful, yet accidental strikes: freshman forward Samira Minor’s high heave vs. UCF and sophomore forward Blake Hodgson’s crossing goal vs. Texas.

And after much consideration, I have to give it to Minor. 

Because at least with Hodgson’s goal, it was an attempted cross that had the intent of finding a player in the box that found its way into the net. With Minor’s goal, it felt like a speculative heave that looked like it was going out of bounds, but the wind decided to be an extra man that day to give her the goal.

“I just tried to put it where they could have had an opportunity. The wind did the rest, and I’m glad it did,” Minor said.

Best Individual Performance: Amanda Adams and Samira Minor vs. Cincinnati

The Cougars’ first Big 12 game of the season succeeded with a 3-1 victory against the Cincinnati Bearcats, their first time opening conference play with a win since joining the Big 12 in 2023, with Minor and sophomore forward Amanda Adams as the two standout players of the game.

Minor showed clinical finishing in the Bearcats’ box, with two goals, while also having two key passes. She also showcased her defensive ability, with two goal-line clearances and six recoveries. 

Adams torched Cincinnati’s left wing, with 12 successful dribbles out of 15, while giving out an assist, making two key passes and creating one big chance. She was also valuable on the defensive end, winning 17 ground duels and making seven recoveries.

Best Game: Matchday 3 vs. Texas (Sun, Aug. 24)

Houston’s first big test of the season came against the Texas Longhorns, one of the more consistent teams of the past 10 years. At first, things weren’t looking so good for the Cougars, as Texas did a great job locking down Houston’s offense and was up 1-0 at the end of the first half.

However, the Cougars did not falter and stuck to their game plan, which ultimately resulted in four unanswered goals in the second half, securing them the win.

The victory gave Houston its first win against the Longhorns since Sept. 2, 2000, and its first time beating Texas at home.

The rest of the season didn’t go well for the Longhorns, as they finished the season with an overall record of 4-12-1 and an SEC record of 2-8, sustaining their worst number of losses for both their overall and conference play record in school history.

Best Moment: Tying With Texas Tech

The 1-1 draw against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Lubbock was more than just a great match; it was also a sign. Despite facing a tough atmosphere, the Cougars were able to weather the storm to pull out of the John Walker Soccer Complex with a point.

This showed that Houston had what it takes to compete in a tougher conference (no offense to the AAC). The Cougars would finish the season with 11 points and 10th place, staying in contention for a spot in the Big 12 Conference Tournament until the very end.

Defensive MVP: Alex Whitcraft

The Houston defense was the biggest improvement of the season for the ladies in red. After giving up 38 goals (2.24 per game) last season in 17 games, the defense locked in, giving up only 14 goals (0.78 goals per game) in 18 matches. 

And one of the key cogs in the defense was graduate defender Alex Whitcraft, who takes the award in back-to-back seasons. Playing a team-high 1,290 minutes, she helped bring that steady presence every defense needs, while also coming up clutch with huge defensive plays that kept the Cougars in games.

Hodgson was also in consideration for this award, but Whitcraft’s leadership and veteran presence give her the honor.

Newcomer of the Year, Offensive MVP and MVP: Samira Minor

And rounding off the awards show is Minor once again, taking home the last three awards. Minor played in all 18 matches while starting in 15, including starting in every conference game, and played 1,215 minutes, which was the fifth most on the team. 

She led the team and all Big 12 freshmen in goals with six, tied with senior forward Cameryn Maddox in assists with three and led the team in points with 15.

She was also named Big 12 Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week for her two-goal performance against Cincy, making her the first player since 2021 to receive multiple Big 12 weekly honors in the same week.

For her efforts, she was named to the All-Big 12 Second and Freshman teams, becoming the second Houston player to earn Big 12 All-Freshman honors, and the first to be named to either the Big 12 First or Second Teams.