Women’s soccer goalkeeper finds her own silver lining
Silver is a precious, shiny, white metal used as currency, in solar panels, tableware, jewelry and more.
But at Detroit Mercy, silver is found in the women’s soccer net with goalkeeper Marisa Silver.
Nothing has been shiny for the graduate senior since she arrived at UDM, but she has stuck through it all — the pandemic, the pain of a lacerated kidney and two ACL injuries — to push the Titans near the top of the Horizon League standings this fall. With Silver’s play in net, UDM made the Horizon League tournament for a second consecutive season.
"It has been tough," Silver said. "I might be missing a third of my kidney, and I have in the back of my head the thought of my knee buckling, but I never wanted to leave."
"She is pretty fearless, and she is going to give you all she can,” added head coach Steve Shelton. “Anyone who has seen her play knows she is tough."
Silver’s journey started during the pandemic, when the fall 2020 season was moved to spring 2021. She played well in her seven games, earning Horizon League All-Freshman honors, but nothing was normal in a season filled with cancelations and postponements.
As a sophomore in fall 2021, Silver started seven games, headlined by a career-high 11 saves at Northern Kentucky. But then came a collision at the net in a late September home game.
Silver left the game and went to the emergency room later that night. She stayed in the ER for a week to have surgery on her kidney. Just like that, her sophomore season was over.
“I got a lacerated kidney and had to have surgery to stop the bleeding," said Silver. "I now have coils on my kidney, and I only have two-thirds of it."
Silver rebounded from that injury to get back for spring practice. But just 13 minutes into the 2022 season, Silver came out of the net to play a ball, and tore her ACL after an opposing player went right into her leg. Another season was over.
"The kidney was one thing — that was a freak injury — but I had never had an athletic injury like that before," said Silver. "I didn't even know it was my ACL. My whole leg hurt.
“I thought we would be a really good team and I was ready to step up and play my best, and then it is over again."
The knee injury required surgery and rehab, but Silver could not regain full stability for the 2023 season — her senior year. She saw action in just one game, totaling seven minutes.
"I kept tweaking it throughout the season," said Silver. "It was really frustrating. I wanted to play, I felt like I could play, but my knee kept buckling."
In four years, Silver went from an All-Freshman goalie to one of the biggest cheerleaders on the women’s soccer team. In her senior season, UDM clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2018.
"It was fun cheering for my team and making the playoffs, but just frustrating because I wanted to contribute more," said Silver.
After the season, Silver was on her way back to being the Titans' top goalie. She rehabbed and practiced in the spring until her knee buckled again.
Silver thought her collegiate career was over.
"I got an MRI and it said it was torn,” Silver said. “I couldn't see the doctor until a week later, and that week, I told the team and coach that I was not coming back."
But everything changed for Silver during her doctor appointment.
"He did all his tests and told me it was only partially torn, that I still have a lot of function and if I rehabbed hard again, I could build up the strength and play,” Silver said. “I had one more year of school left, and since I was returning as a student, I decided I would give it another shot to come back and play."
Coming off a playoff appearance, Silver’s spot wasn’t guaranteed. She had played only 16 games in four years and just two appearances over the last two seasons.
"Coach was very honest and upfront with me and said they were looking at bringing in another veteran goalie,” said Silver. "He said, ‘with all the injuries, we need another goalie here.’ I understood his position and took it as just another challenge.
"Sometimes you have to be the bad guy as the head coach, but this is Division I soccer and having two good goalkeepers is great for us and them,” added Shelton. “There was a lot of competition, and at the end of the day, it only made our program better."
When this season started, Silver was splitting time with senior transfer Chantelle Symes. Both goalkeepers looked to secure the top spot for Horizon League play.
It was Silver who earned the start in the Titans’ first conference game against Youngstown State and made three saves in a victory. A few days later, she had four stops in a win over Robert Morris as UDM started 2-0 in the Horizon League.
A week later, Silver made five saves as the Titans tied at Green Bay for their first league point on the road since the 2021 season. She helped the Titans earn their first points since 2007 against preseason favorite and perennial power Milwaukee, collecting four saves in a draw.
In the season finale against rival Oakland, Silver recorded six saves to lead the Titans to the No. 3 seed in the Horizon League tournament.
"I think she is one of the best goalkeepers in the Horizon League,” Shelton said. “She can bail you out if the defense breaks down and keep you in games when needed.”
Through 17 games (16 starts), Silver has 67 saves. Her 125 career stops rank 10th in program history.
It’s quite an accomplishment for someone who thought her college playing career was over.
Thanks to Silver in net, the Titans have shined this fall, winning their first playoff game in six years.
"It is hard to imagine everything that has happened during my time here,” Silver said. “I would have loved to play every game during my time here. I feel that I could have helped the program, but in the end, everything has taught me to appreciate everything and every day."
— By P.J. Gradowski. Follow Detroit Mercy on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram. Have a story idea? Let us know by submitting your idea.