FRISCO, Texas — Lamar's Keely Thomas, Marissa Gross, and Riley Wilson swept this week's Southland Women's Soccer Player of the Week awards, the conference office announced Tuesday.
Offensive Player of the Week: Marissa Gross, Lamar – Sr. – CM – South Grand Prairie, Texas (South Grand Prairie HS)
Gross continued to lead the Cardinals last week with two goals and one assist. She scored a brace against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, including her third penalty kick of the season to lead LU to a 3-0 shutout win. She later picked up an assist on the game-winning goal Sunday against Southeastern Louisiana in a 1-0 victory to keep LU three points clear of second place. Gross leads the entire league with 10 goals, including five game-winners, and is second with 22 points.
Honorable mention: Alyce Chappelle, SFA
Defensive Player of the Week: Riley Wilson, Lamar – Sr. – D – Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock HS)
Wilson helped the Lamar defense, which ranks as the SLC top-ranked defense, add two more shutout wins last week over both Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-0) and Southeastern Louisiana (1-0). She guided LU to fend off 11 Islander shots on Thursday. On Sunday, against the Lions, after LU took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute, Wilson and the defense held that lead for the final 83 minutes. She took a shot in the match, but would also make a big stop on an open-net chance by SLU by clearing the ball out with 10 minutes left to go.
Honorable mention: Hayden Kish, UIW
Goalkeeper of the Week: Keely Thomas, Lamar – Sr. – GK – Richmond, Va. (Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School)
Thomas collected nine saves on 19 shots faced in two more shutout victories last week to keep Lamar on top of the Southland Conference standings. Against Corpus Christi, she tied her season-high five saves on 11 shots faced in a 3-0 win. Then on Sunday, Thomas added four saves, including two in the second half, which kept Southeastern Louisiana off the scoreboard in a 1-0 triumph. Thomas is the only player in the league with a sub-50 goals-against average (.41) and has five shutouts for the season.
2026 Southland Women's Soccer Players of the Week
| Date |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Goalkeeper |
| Aug. 18 |
Alexandra Knight, Southeastern |
Alex Arvanitis, McNeese |
Aislinn Wright, Nicholls |
| Aug. 25 |
Isabella Burtini, UTRGV |
Lainey Connell, Southeastern |
Emmy McKeon, HCU |
| Sept. 1 |
Katie Porter, A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sienna Church, UTRGV |
Mariana Amezcua, UTRGV |
| Sept. 8 |
Paige Baumgartner, Northwestern State |
Rebecca Romero, McNeese |
Shannon Dempsey, McNeese |
| Sept. 15 |
Paige Baumgartner, Northwestern State |
Sydney Williams, SFA |
Hannah Alexander, UIW |
| Sept. 22 |
Kamryn Harvey, Lamar |
Riley Wilson, Lamar |
Keely Thomas, Lamar |
| Sept. 26 |
Emily Gundin, Northwestern State |
Bonnie Miller, Northwestern State |
Audrey Marfia, Northwestern State |
| Oct. 6 |
Tyler Coker, UIW |
Mikaela Valentine, HCU |
Hannah Alexander, UIW |
| Oct. 13 |
Angelina Rispone, Nicholls |
Montanna Matthews, UIW |
Audrey Marfia, Northwestern State |
| Oct. 20 |
Alyssa Wheeler, Nicholls |
Isabella Walls, Southeastern |
Keely Thomas, Lamar |
| Oct. 27 |
Marissa Gross, Lamar |
Riley Wilson, Lamar |
Keely Thomas, Lamar |