The Vancouver Whitecaps announced Spokane native Marissa Mykines as one of its four newest additions to the roster for 2012. The Mead High School product joins fellow Spokane Shadow alum Alison Fenter (Shadle Park HS) on the squad.
Mykines, 22, comes to Vancouver for her first season with Whitecaps FC after an extremely successful career at the University of Illinois, where she played nearly every match over her career. She finished her final season last fall by starting in all 24 of her appearances, recording eight goals and three assists. She earned All-Big Ten Second Team and National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Region Second Team awards along with Big Ten Tournament Offensive MVP and Big Ten All-Tournament Team recognition. She finished her Illini career with starts in 60 of her 84 appearances, tallying 14 goals and 16 assists.
During her career at Illinois, Mykines faced local schools from the region, recording her first career collegiate goal against Washington State University in her freshman season. Last year she tallied a goal and two assists against Gonzaga.
While playing for the Illini, Mykines returned to Spokane to play in the Women’s Premier Soccer League with the hometown Black Widows (2010) and Shine (2011).
During her club soccer development, Mykines was a standout for the Shadow, helping guide the U14 team to the Super Y-League North American Finals in 2004, where she earned a spot on the SYL ODP National Select Team. The team was nearly perfect in the event, but finished second in their group, due to a 1-0 loss to eventual champion Cleveland Internationals, while earning shutouts in their other two group games and in the consolation contest. She would go on to also earn Regional Select recognition in 2005.
At Mead, she helped lead the school repeat as district champions, reaching the state finals in 2006. The two-time Greater Spokane League First Team choice and All-State First Team selection was named GSL Offensive MVP for her senior campaign.
The Whitecaps, coming off a 2-1 preseason win against Oregon State, thus far will feature four players with connections to eastern Washington as Fenter is one of three players from WSU on the squad.
