CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi soccer team finally gets its 2026 season underway in just one week's time, and for head coach
Daniel Clitnovici, the new campaign represents an opportunity to continue to build the program up to greater heights.
Since taking the reins in March of 2024, Clitnovici has seen a good deal of success, helping lead the Islanders to a winning record of 15-13-11 while also qualifying for the SLC Soccer Championship in each of his two seasons to extend the team's streak up to seven postseason berths in a row. Now entering year three, he looks to lead an experienced bunch of players seeking to further elevate themselves into the upper tier of the Southland Conference.
Prior to the start of the regular season, Clitnovici sat down to discuss preparing for another season at the helm and what he has seen from his newest group throughout the preseason so far.
Q: "You guys started practicing as a full team here a couple weeks ago. What's been the excitement level around the team about the season coming up here in a little more than a week?"
A: "The NCAA did a great job in granting Division I soccer programs these extra two weeks to come in before the regular preseason date, because you're able to prepare at a normal pace. You're not rushing anything, and the organization is executed correctly. Everything from when the players arrived for move-in, to on-field, off-field, lift schedules, meals, everything has just been really smooth. We have a group that's very committed and very organized, and they've been doing really well the last few weeks. It's been a lot of positives, that's for sure.
Q: You've been able to see them a lot through this time. What have been your first impressions on how they've looked so far, whether it be the chemistry, the culture or the style of play they've shown so far?
A: "The returners have definitely come in and been ready to go. Our upperclassmen and our returning sophomores, they know what's expected from them, so they've been steering the ship with our new transfers as well as our incoming freshmen to guide them and let them know the law of the land and how things work here on and off the field. A lot of them played over the summer, so they've come in in good condition and injury-free. We've been in a place where we've been able to build and prepare really well because we've had everyone available. That's been a positive.
When it comes to attitude, that's been the biggest thing we've seen. The attitude to want to get better, the attitude to compete. Whether they're a returner or a newcomer, their attitude has been great, and that's what we're really excited about. We have an eager group that's ready to get better and grow this season."
Q: You mentioned the returners already.
When we did this chat last year before the season, you only had nine of them, but this year you have 15, which is more than half the team. How big is it to have that continuity with that big group coming back from last year?
A: "It's huge. We accomplished a lot last year with that group, building a completely new team. Last year was a rebuild, to be very open with you, so having 15 returners this year, the base is there. They're all talented, they're all going to contribute this year, and we're excited about that. When you've got some leadership and some experience, you have a really strong platform to build off of."
Q: Beyond them, you have a new group of transfers coming in. That was a part of the team that you leaned on a lot last season, so do you envision something similar this year? What are you expecting from that group transferring in that has that collegiate experience already?"
A: "When you bring transfers in and have those conversations with them to get to know them, one of the most important things is making sure they're going to come in and make an impact. Impact on the field as a student-athlete, but also off the field in having the right personality that meshes well with what we have as a staff and as a team. Every single transfer that's coming in this year and even in the future, they're expected to definitely make an impact on the field and off it. We're excited about the group we've brought in. They're going to help us in different areas. They need to play a role, and they're going to play a role that's positive for us."
Q: As for the freshman, it's not quite as big of a class as you had last season, but it seemed like some of them were able to earn their way into your circle of trust and play themselves into bigger roles as the year went on. Is that something that you can see this year's group working themselves into as time goes on?
A: Yeah, we met this whole freshman class when we got here as a staff in 2024, so we've had over a year and a half to watch and get to know them prior to their arrival here. We feel like they can all play a part. Obviously, college soccer is not easy, and freshmen are the ones that typically have to adapt the most, but we feel like we've got a very strong class. All of them can see the field, we've just got to find the times to help them do so. There's several of them that right now are doing very well and leading the charge to get good minutes right away. Even though do we have a strong returning class, we will need them to play and contribute to have the success that we want to have.
Q: Specifically for the position groups, defense and midfield are two areas where you have a lot of continuity, but you did have some turnover with the forwards with the departures of
Mai-Lisa Atis,
Morgan Westbury and
Madison Page from last year. What are you expecting to see from that room in order to counteract what you might have lost?
A: "Last year we played three freshmen quite a lot in those offensive positions, so them coming in as sophomores, I'm hoping they can increase their minutes continue to contribute. We've also added several players that can contribute in that role as transfers, specifically as a replacement for Madison who was a really strong target 9 for us and led our front line consistently. Someone like
Cilia Leal Cardona, who was a freshman in 2024 and had an unbelievable breakout season but got hurt early on last year and missed most of the season even as she was trending in a great direction, having her back is something we're really excited about.
Grace Clay can play in the 9 as well as a transfer from Louisiana Tech and an Albion ECNL kid, which is a very respected and strong youth program, and
MyJoi Anderson, who had an unbelievable freshman year in that 9 as well. We're going to be competitive and strong down the middle, and out wide I think we're going to be just as dangerous with a few transfers in that area as well.
Offensively, we've got to take care of business, and defensively, we've got to be better this year. Our goalkeeping unit is better this year, our defensive unit is better as a group as well as holistically as a team, but we definitely need to be better defensively this year for sure."
Q: Switching gears to the schedule, I know last year you mentioned that you wanted to test the team in nonconference play, and this year it's the same with six Division I nonconference games. What are you expecting to see and what are you hoping to build toward in the early part of the season as you work your way toward conference play?
A: "As it is with every year, we need to find ourselves. Every year is different, and we want to always focus on having success, but success is measured in different ways as far as we're concerned here. We're looking to try to find cohesion in our individual moments as players and in our lines, but also holistically within our group. We're trying to find success in all those areas. We are going to be tested in several games, but that's a good thing for us. We've got some games that we can maybe take a risk in some ways as well and try some new things. At the end of the day for us, it's about finding ourselves. Seeing what we're good at, areas we need to improve on, areas we're not good at and not trying to avoid that but preparing for them so we're not being exposed as much there. Definitely a whole bunch of things for us to try to have success in and grow in."
Q: Wrapping things up, you've mentioned a lot that you believe the Southland is a conference that's been pretty quickly rising over the last few seasons. What are your overall impressions of the field as a whole this season, and what do you think you guys need to accomplish to be able to establish yourselves at the upper tier of the conference?
A: "Number one, we have to continue to focus on ourselves. When you focus on yourself and are respectful of your opponents, I think you can move the needle a lot more. What I mean by that is, we genuinely can't be distracted. One practice session at a time, one week at a time, one game at a time. That is our philosophy here.
The conference specifically, there are some new coaches that have come in and some players that have gone elsewhere. I do expect our regulars to be some of the best teams in the conference, your Northwestern State, Lamar, Southeastern, East Texas A&M. Ultimately for us, if we focus on ourselves, I think we're going to achieve the results we want. Again, though, we have to be mindful and respectful of what our opponents will give us. We're down to seven teams making the postseason instead of eight, which makes the pressure that already existed even more, since it's on a knife's edge. Not only do you have to focus on yourself, but other results elsewhere can shape things. I hope that from our standpoint, we can get the results that we earn and deserve, because keeping destiny in our own hands is the best way to move forward."
The Islanders officially kick things off on August 12, hosting Tarleton State at the Dr. Jack Dugan Family Soccer and Track & Field Stadium at 7 p.m. in what is the first of a five-match homestand to get 2026 underway.
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