Marissa Young leads Saints in scoring, game-winners

Behind the scoring of 5-foot-7 junior forward Marissa Young (Genoa), the Siena Heights University womens soccer team finished the 2021 campaign fourth in the conference standings after winning eight games in league play. 

Young led the Saints in points with 30, goals with 15, shots with 64, and shots on goal with 37. She finished the year with eight game-winning goals, which put her in a four-way tie at the top of the NAIA stat leaders in that category (as of 11/12/2021).

“Marissa had a scoring season for the record books,” stated coach Scott Oliver. “She has an incredible work rate and has proven to be a big-time player.  What we love most about her, though, is her humility and love for her team.”

Young registered her eighth game-winning goal of the season to lead the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in that category as she lifted the Saints past the University of Northwest Ohio 2-0 in the season finale. Young scored both goals for the Saints (12-4-2, 7-3-1 WHAC) as they locked up a home game for the first round of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) Tournament.

Young was assisted on her game-winner by Kaleigh Mahaz. Isabel Herden had the assist on goal number two. Young led the Saints in scoring and with four shots on goal. 

The Saints kept the ball on the offensive side of the field for much of the first half as they outshot the Racers 7-1 in the opening 45 minutes of play. However, despite the advantage in shots, SHU couldn’t break the scoreless tie before both teams entered the locker room at halftime.

Young broke the tie in the 55th minute with a header off a corner kick from Mahaz that beat the goalkeeper to the right. Her second score of the game came in the 83rd minute when a great pass through the box from Herden allowed her to beat the keeper low to the right for the insurance goal. 

The win wrapped up the regular season for the Saints, who finished with an overall record of 12-4-2 and a 7-3-1 record in WHAC play to claim fourth in the league standings. 

The Siena Heights women’s soccer team fell 4-1 to top-seed Aquinas in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) tournament. The Saints finish the season with a 13-5-2 overall record and an 8-3-2 mark in conference play. 

Emily Broman was the lone goal scorer for SHU in the losing effort. Young tallied the other shot on goal for Siena Heights in the afternoon. Kara Bishop (L, 12-4-2) made five saves in net for the Saints.