{{Short description|American soccer player (born 2001)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Julia Leas |image = |image_size = |alt = |caption = |full_name = Julia Nicole Leas |birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2001|03|03}} |birth_place = Vienna, Virginia, United States |height = 5 ft 8 in |position = Defensive midfielder, center back |currentclub = Montreal Roses FC |clubnumber = 5 |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = |collegeyears1 = 2019–2023 |college1 = Georgetown Hoyas |collegecaps1 = 100 |collegegoals1 = 16 |years1 = 2024 |clubs1 = Vittsjö GIK |caps1 = 24 |goals1 = 2 |years2 = 2025– |clubs2 = Montreal Roses FC |caps2 = 12<!--league matches only, no playoffs--> |goals2 = 0 |club-update = October 20, 2025 }} '''Julia Nicole Leas''' (March 3, 2001) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Canadian Northern Super League club Montreal Roses FC. She played college soccer for the Georgetown Hoyas, where she was a two-time first-team All-American.
==Early life== Leas was raised in Vienna, Virginia, and attended James Madison High School, where she scored 71 goals in four seasons.<ref name="GU"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/sports/vienna-native-notches-spot-on-sweden-s-soccer-team/article_7baf7a86-cc3a-11ee-a257-1336060e11b2.html|title=Vienna native notches spot on Sweden's soccer team|last=Palacios|first=Anthony|date=2024-02-16|newspaper=Fairfax Times|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref> She helped lead her high school team to state semifinal and runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018. She captained the team for two years and was named the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in 2019. She played club soccer for Mclean Soccer, where she made the ECNL national finals and was named ECNL All-American in 2019.<ref name="GU">{{cite web|url=https://guhoyas.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/julia-leas/14554|title=Julia Leas|publisher=Georgetown Hoyas|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.gazetteleader.com/fairfax/sports/madison-high-graduate-will-play-professional-soccer-in-sweden-8219590|title=Madison High graduate will play professional soccer in Sweden|website=GazetteLeader|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==College career== Leas was a five-year starter for the Georgetown Hoyas, where she recorded 16 goals and 16 assists in 100 appearances as a defensive midfielder or center back.<ref name="GU"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dcnewsnow.com/sports/local-sports/dc-sports/georgetown-hoyas/georgetowns-leas-starts-in-record-90th-consecutive-soccer-match/|title=Georgetown's Leas starts in record 90th consecutive soccer match|last=Forrest|first=Derek|date=2023-09-28|website=DCNewsNow.com|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref> She led Georgetown to four straight Big East Conference championships in each of her last four years. She was named to the Big East all-freshman team in 2019, all-conference third team in 2020, all-conference second team in 2021, and all-conference first team and United Soccer Coaches All-American first team in 2022 and 2023. She was additionally named the Big East midfielder of the year in 2021 and Big East defensive player of the year in 2022 and 2023.<ref name="GU"/>
==Club career== After withdrawing her name from the 2024 NWSL Draft, Leas signed a one-year deal with Swedish club Vittsjö GIK on January 24, 2024.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nwslsoccer.com/news/2024-nwsl-draft-presented-by-ally-live-registration-tracker|title=2024 NWSL Draft, Presented by Ally: Live Registration Tracker|date=2024-01-08|publisher=National Women's Soccer League|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.kristianstadsbladet.se/2024-01-24/dubbla-nyforvarv-mittback-fran-konkurrent-och-amerikansk-collegestjarna/|title=Dubbla nyförvärv: Mittback från konkurrent – och amerikansk collegestjärna|date=2024-01-24|newspaper=Kristianstadsbladet|language=sv|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref> On March 9, she scored on her club debut, a 5–0 win over IFK Göteborg in the {{ill|2023–24 Svenska Cupen (women)|sv|Svenska cupen i fotboll för damer 2023/2024|lt=Swedish Cup}} group stage.<ref name="Soccerway">{{Soccerway}}</ref> She made her first league start against BK Häcken on June 17, after which she held a starting position throughout the rest of the year.<ref name="FBref">{{FBref}}</ref> She scored her first Damallsvenskan goal in a 3–2 comeback win over AIK on August 24.<ref name="FBref"/> She finished the season with 2 goals in 24 league games (14 starts) as Vittsjö placed 8th of 14 teams.<ref name="Soccerway"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://fbref.com/en/squads/a1979431/Vittsjo-Stats|title=2024 Vittsjö Stats|website=FBref.com}}</ref>
On February 7, 2025, Leas signed with Canadian club Montreal Roses FC ahead of the inaugural Northern Super League season.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A NEW TALENTED RECRUIT FOR THE MONTRÉAL ROSES: JULIA LEAS |url=https://en.rosesmtl.ca/news/a-new-talented-recruit-for-the-montr%C3%A9al-roses-julia-leas |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Montreal Roses FC |language=en-CA}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Sports links}}
{{Montreal Roses FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leas, Julia}} Category:Living people Category:2001 births Category:Soccer players from Virginia Category:Sportspeople from Vienna, Virginia Category:American women's soccer players Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:Women's association football midfielders Category:Women's association football central defenders Category:Georgetown Hoyas women's soccer players Category:Vittsjö GIK players Category:Damallsvenskan players Category:Montreal Roses FC players Category:Northern Super League players