| Marisa Bova | |
| Birth Date: | 6 August 2000 |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Currentclub: | North Carolina Courage |
| Clubnumber: | 44 |
| Collegeyears1: | 2018–2021 |
| College1: | Purdue Boilermakers |
| Collegecaps1: | 60 |
| Collegegoals1: | 0 |
| Years1: | 2022– |
| Clubs1: | North Carolina Courage |
| Caps1: | 0 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | October 22, 2023 |
Marisa Bova (born August 6, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for the North Carolina Courage of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She played collegiately for the Purdue Boilermakers before being selected by the Courage in the 2022 NWSL Draft.
Bova grew up in Hartland, Wisconsin, and has three brothers. Her mother, Amy, played college volleyball for Drake, and her brother Dante played soccer for UNC Asheville.[1] She played soccer as a forward until age twelve, when the coach of her club team, SC Waukesha, asked her to play in goal; the team won six straight state cup championships from 2011 to 2017.[2] Bova graduated early from Arrowhead High School and began attending Purdue University in the spring of 2018.[2]
Bova played six games for Purdue as a freshman in 2018.[1] She began regularly starting for the Boilermakers in her sophomore season and had 66 saves to 18 goals allowed in 20 games.[1] She shut out top seed Wisconsin with six saves in the first round of the 2019 Big Ten tournament.[3] In the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 season, she started all 12 games and recorded 35 saves to 10 goals allowed and contributed one game-winning assist.[1]
Bova captained the Boilermakers in her senior season in 2021, posting seven clean sheets in 22 games to help the team earn entry into the NCAA tournament for the first time in twelve years. She set a program record with 113 saves that season, becoming the first Boilermaker to pass the 100-save mark in a season, and earned All-Big Ten second-team honors.[1] Fans celebrated her with the phrase "Mo says no".[2] Bova made six saves against Loyola Chicago in the first round of the NCAA tournament, where Purdue won 1–0 in double overtime.[4] She made a career-high ten saves in the second round, drawing 1–1 to Notre Dame in double overtime, but lost on penalties.[1] A three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, Bova graduated from Purdue with dual Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in December 2021.[5]
The North Carolina Courage selected Bova 45th overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NWSL Draft.[5] She was signed to a one-year contract with an option for an additional year, which was exercised.[6] [7] Following the 2023 season, she extended her contract for another two years but had yet to make an appearance behind starters Katelyn Rowland and Casey Murphy.[8]
Bova made her professional debut on July 20, 2024, as the starting keeper against the Orlando Pride in the first group stage game of the 2024 NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The game was tied 1–1 after regulation and went to penalties, where Bova made two saves to help win the shootout 5–4.[9]
North Carolina Courage
Individual