SAINT LEO, Fla. – Adriana Tirado of the Saint Leo women's soccer team was selected to represent her home country, Puerto Rico, in the 2018 Concacaf Caribbean Women's Qualifier held in Dominican Republic, Estadio Panamerico. The qualifier tournament is the first of many rounds on the road to the 2019 Women's Soccer World Cup.
 
Saint Leo women's soccer head coach Mario Rincon expressed, "To represent your country is one of the highest honors. Not only the athletic piece, but the opportunity for cultural immersion and the chance to impact kids from your own country is such a great opportunity. There are kids in Puerto Rico, right now, that are looking up to Tuti and thinking about playing like someday, like she is today; that is powerful. This is a huge honor for her to represent Puerto Rico and Saint Leo."

Tirado said, "Being able to represent my country has been a blessing and a dream come true. Representing my island is indescribable. As an athlete, this is one of the most satisfying accomplishments. It is a daily motivation to improve in every aspect, for myself, for my family, for my school and for my country."
 
She continued, "We won our first game against Anguila (10-0) and we tied yesterday, and have two more games facing Cuba and Aruba."
 
Tirado and the Puerto Rican national team tied the Dominican Republic (0-0) in Monday's Group A match-up. They will continue play against Cuba on Wednesday, May 9 at 2:30 p.m. Following the contest against Cuba, Puerto Rico will face Aruba on Friday, May 11 at 2:00 p.m.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Saint Leo women's soccer team, visit SaintLeoLions.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Lions news by following Saint Leo Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.