SEGUIN, Texas -- For the third time this season, Natalia Cortez (Edinburg/Robert Vela) was named Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Offensive Player of the Week, as the league office announced on Monday. Texas Lutheran has won the award four of the season's eight weeks this season.

Cortez recorded two game-winners over the weekend to lead the Bulldogs to a 2-0 weekend and their second straight SCAC Regular Season Championship. After a scoreless first half on Friday, Cortez struck in the 53rd minute to get the TLU offense charged for a 3-0 win over Hendrix. Cortez recorded her second brace of the season on Sunday, leading the Bulldogs to a victory over Ozarks (AR) on the road. Both goals were pivotal in the Bulldogs four unanswered to rally to beat the Eagles. Cortez nailed a penalty kick to equalize and that's where the score would remain to conclude the first half. The Bulldogs took their first lead in the second half after Cortez put a move on two defenders before scoring her second goal to complete the brace, connecting from just outside the box. The game-winner is Cortez's seventh of the season, tying Sioned Kirkpatrick for the most in a single-season in program history as she climbs to the national lead for Division-III in 2026.

The Edinburg native has compiled 13 goals and 27 points this season. Cortez continues to be one of the most dominant strikers in the country, ranking second in the SCAC and in the top 25 nationally in goals in addition to her national lead in game-winners.

The Bulldogs will conclude the regular season at home against Dallas on October 30 at 7:30 PM. Friday will act as Senior Day as the Bulldogs honor their seven-member senior class prior to the match. The match will be broadcast on FloCollege. All streaming and live stats links will be available on tlubulldogs.com.

For all updates on Texas Lutheran Women's Soccer, follow @tluwsoc on X (Twitter) and Instagram and as always you can find updates on all Texas Lutheran athletics on tlubulldogs.com and all official TLU social media channels (@tluathletics on X (Twitter), @tlu_athletics on Instagram, and @tlubulldogs on Facebook).