FRISCO, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi soccer team was recognized with its first weekly honor of the 2025 season on Tuesday morning, as it was announced by the league office that sophomore forward
Cilia Leal was named the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the period of August 19-25.
Leal led a potent Islanders attack during the week of competition, picking up the first brace of her career in the team's first victory of the season against Texas A&M-San Antonio on Sunday. Her first goal of the game against the Jaguars came just 61 seconds into the match, marking the fastest for any Islander since Rebekah George did so in 60 seconds flat on October 21, 2022, and she put her next into the top left corner of the net on a beautiful right-footed strike from just outside the penalty box.
The Plano native finished Sunday's contest with five total shots and tied for the team lead with four on target, moving her totals for the week up to eight and five respectively when including Thursday's match against Texas Southern. After this week, she now sits just one goal off her total from her entire freshman season in 2024, when she netted three goals in 20 games played.
The award is Leal's first weekly honor of her career, and she became the first Islander to win one since
Zoe Theriot took home Goalkeeper of the Week on October 29 of last year. As far as Offensive Player of the Week, Leal is the first for the team since Maggie Murray back on September 5, 2023.
Leal and the rest of the Islanders get back in action on Thursday evening, starting off a three-game road trip in Huntsville with a showdown against Conference USA opponent Sam Houston State.
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