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Schools

Carlsbad Soccer Player Has Angel Watching Over Her

Marissa Marshall's winning team is named after her late mother.

In 2009, Marissa Marshall’s Carlsbad Lightning soccer team did something extraordinary.  They won all 14 of their games and not a single goal was scored against them all season. 

“Everyone at school heard about it,” said Marissa, who turned 12 on October 7 and attends Mission Estancia Elementary.  “It was amazing!”

No one was more excited than Marissa’s mother, Cyndy Marshall.   The team, “Cyndy’s Angels” was named after her.

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“Cyndy had multiple sclerosis and was living in a nursing home at the time,” said Mike Marshall, Marissa’s father.  “It was the highlight of Cyndy’s life for me to come and pick her up each week and take her to Marissa’s games.  That helped keep her spirits high right up to the end.  She passed away just two weeks after the girls won their league trophy.”

Now known as “Angels”, the team is off to another impressive start this season.  They won their first three games.   The girls have played on the same team together since they were in kindergarten and have been coached by the Marshall’s neighbors, Andrew and Elise Lissner, for seven straight years.

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“Marissa plays forward and is so excited to be part of such an awesome team,” said Marshall.

Marissa says she has learned a lot over the past few years, from life on and off the field.

“I think you have to keep pushing when times get tough and just try to stay positive.”

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