Marisa O’Connell, a junior midfielder on the girls soccer team, is a well-rounded player who has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net and score clutch penalty kicks. She announced her commitment to Ursinus College via Instagram on Monday.
O’Connell has been a member of the girls soccer team since her sophomore year and was a member of the 2021 Group 4 state championship team. This season O’Connell tallied two goals and three assists, one of which was a game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory against Governor Livingston. O’Connell also plays club soccer for Cedar Stars Academy Monmouth.
O’Connell will be joining the Grizzly Bears in the fall of 2024. Ursinus competes in the Centennial Conference and finished with a record of 7-6-4 last season. Located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, Ursinus is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the state and is a Division III college.
Skidmore, Montclair State, Scranton, Ithaca, Penn State Harrisburg and Farmingdale College were among other schools that O’Connell took into consideration when deciding where she would pursue her athletic and academic career.
“I chose Ursinus because I love the campus and the fact that it’s a smaller school so I will connect with teachers and other students much easier,” said O’Connell. “I love my coach, Jeannine Calhoun, and the Ursinus soccer program.”
Not only was O’Connell drawn to the school for the continuance of her soccer career, but she also loved Ursinus’s Health and Exercise Physiology program, which she plans on majoring in. Overall, her connection with Calhoun and her overnight stay at the college are what made her decision crystal clear.
O’Connell is looking forward to entering her senior season next fall with the goal of continuing the tradition of winning that the Westfield soccer program radiates. O’Connell is coming off a county championship and looks to lead her team to another successful season.
