LA JOLLA, Calif. – Mary Reilly, who starred on the UC San Diego women's soccer team from 2015-18, will continue her soccer career at the professional level. Reilly is set to play for Ovarense, a team based out of Ovar, Portugal. The squad competes in the Liga BPI: Women's First Division Pro League.
The Triton All-American had her sights set on playing professionally earlier this year, but her plans changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I started circulating my highlight video around in hopes of playing abroad and was originally supposed to play on a semi-pro team in Seattle called the Seattle Stars F.C.," Reilly recalled. "When the pandemic hit, the summer season was cancelled, and I had completely switched gears from soccer.
"A previous coach from my old club growing up, Coronado Youth Soccer League, reached out and told me he was up for a job as the technical director at Ovarense. They had room for one more international player!"
Reilly secured the final international spot on Ovarense and made arrangements to travel to Portugal. Although planning the trip was challenging due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Reilly is now set to fly to Portugal in a week. This will be the Chula Vista native's first time in the country.
"I have only heard wonderful things," Reilly shared about her new country. "[Coach Kristin Jones] says that it is her favorite place in the world.
"Ovar is a small beach town about two hours north of Lisbon, so I am most looking forward to living in a quiet little beach town and utilizing public transportation when I can to explore the country."
Reilly is also excited to compete with her new team. She is confident that her time with the Tritons has set her up for success.
"I think my time at UC San Diego will help me in my professional career mainly because of the sheer competition we faced in the CCAA," Reilly noted. "The league was always so exciting to play in. Also, the elevated competition we faced each year in the NCAA tournament always helped test my level of competition as a soccer player and gives me confidence moving forward that I can compete at that high level."
For Reilly, a key aspect of her collegiate experience was her coaches. Her bond with the UC San Diego coaching staff has remained strong since she graduated, and she has appreciated their encouragement as she takes the next step in her soccer career.
"All of my coaches, Brian [McManus], Jonesy [Kristin Jones], Trent [Painter], and Greg [LaPorte], always believed in me that I could make it to the next level and have supported me entirely since I graduated," Reilly said.
Reilly finished her collegiate career ranked fourth in UC San Diego program history with 49 goals, and fifth with 121 points. The Triton forward also garnered All-West Region and All-CCAA First Team honors every year of her career. In her senior campaign, she was named an All-American.
Reilly will soon begin preseason training with Ovarense in order to prepare for the upcoming season. For more information on Ovarense, click
here.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions III and II and helped guide more than 1,300 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
