IRVING, Texas – For the first time this season, a UTSA soccer player has earned one of the American Conference’s weekly awards, as officials from the league office announced on Monday that Leah Varela has been named American Conference Midfielder of the Week.
Helping keep the Roadrunners atop the American’s non-conference standings and among the 25 remaining undefeated teams, Varela registered a five-point performance in the 3-1 Hometown Showdown victory over UIW – tying for the third-highest single-game point total in UTSA history. A redshirt sophomore from Rio Rancho, New Mexico, Varela ties for the national lead in both total assists and assists per game (7, 1.00) and bolstered her count with a double-assist outing against the visiting Cardinals. In addition, Varela went 4-for-4 shots to on-target shots and scored the game-winning goal on a 41st-minute penalty kick – her first career goal.
A career-first for her, Varela’s award is the first for UTSA this season and the first time a UTSA player has earned specifically the American’s midfielder weekly award. She received weekly Honorable Mention following the opening week of the season.
In addition, Cedar Park, Texas sophomore defender Sofia Peters was recognized for weekly Honorable Mention after scoring two goals on 2-for-2 shooting for UTSA’s first brace since the 2024 season. Peters played 80 minutes in helping limit the Cardinals to just five on-target shots. Peters joins Brooklyn Bailey (Sept. 7), Ava Jackson (Aug. 24), Amelia Clark (Aug. 24) and Varela (Aug. 17) in receiving weekly Honorable Mention.
Varela, Peters and the Roadrunners will be back in action this week, as UTSA rounds out the non-conference schedule with perennial powerhouse Santa Clara coming to Park West in the first meeting between these teams. The Roadrunners and Broncos will face off with a 7 p.m. kickoff on Thursday, Sept. 17, in the Rowdy Rodeo and Alumni Night game for UTSA.
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