University of the Incarnate Word have gone back to the well, recruiting their first Aussie since having success with current Western Sydney Wanderers defender Madison McComasky. Calder United’s Montanna Mathews will join the Cardinals for the 2024 season after two seasons playing for the club’s senior NPL Victoria team.
Originally from Albury, Mathews has played for Calder United’s senior team since 2022, making 44 appearances and helping lead the team to the Premiership-Championship double in her first season of senior NPL football. Mathews featured in every game of that successful campaign, earning herself a position as a train-on player with Western United for 2022/23.
Prior to this success, Mathews was also instrumental in Calder United’s success at Under 19 level in 2019. Finishing the season with five goals in 28 appearances, Mathews featured in a team that also included A-League All Stars selection Alana Cerne and Oral Roberts defender Layla Lopez, rolling to the Premiership before defeating Alamein on penalties in the Grand Final to do the double.
Incarnate Word’s form has fluctuated wildly in the past few seasons, but the Cardinals were certainly on an upward trajectory last season. After finishing with nine wins in 2021, the team won just three games in 2022 before doubling that number in 2023 to finish 6-8-2. Although they have missed the Southland Conference tournament in the last two seasons, the team from San Antonio were only two points off qualifying in 2023, putting them within striking distance if they can continue to build off last season’s improvement.
Mathews’ signing brings the number of Australian players in the Southland Conference to four, joining Texas A&M-Corpus Christi duo Emma Bates and Molly Arens, and Northwestern State defender Caitlin Le Roux. The league also features two Australian head coaches: Daniel Clitnovici recently succeeded countryman Craig Shaw at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, whilst former Nicholls State star Kristy Helmers was recently named as the Colonels’ head coach.
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