For Pennridge grad Sheva, playing for Ireland in Women's World Cup was unforgettable

For Marissa Sheva, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Sheva, a Pennridge High School graduate, played in the Women's World Cup for Ireland, which qualified for the first time. She has dual citizenship and two passports, since maternal grandparents John McCaul and Kathleen are from County Tyrone and County Donegal, respectively.

And while Ireland didn't advance to the knockout round, it earned its first World Cup point with a 0-0 tie against Nigeria and scored its first goal (by captain Katie McCabe) in a 2-1 Group B loss to Canada.

"It's the most incredible thing I've ever been a part of," Sheva said. "It was humbling to be a part of the first team to represent Ireland in the World Cup. It meant a lot to me and my family. I don't think it's something that's fully sunken in yet. It was truly amazing."

The chance to play for Ireland came about because Irish coach Vera Pauw watched Sheva's highlight videos and some of her games, then invited Sheva to camp in March in Marbella, Spain. She learned she had been picked for the team following a pre-World Cup camp at the beginning of June in Dublin.

"(During) the whole buildup to the World Cup, the support in Dublin was just tremendous," she said. "It made us swell with pride to be able to go down to Australia and represent Ireland."

Ireland lost the opener 1-0 on a penalty kick by Australia's Steph Catley after Sheva was called for pulling down Hayley Raso in the box just after halftime in front of a record crowd of 76,000 at Sydney's Stadium Australia.

Sheva's teammates, including McCabe, and Pauw provided plenty of encouragement following the defeat.

Pennridge's Sheva achieves goal: By playing women's pro soccer

"I think if you play for the first time at a World Cup and you get into a struggle, into the legs and you get a penalty against, it's quite normal that you're upset after the game," Pauw said. "But she'll be fine. … Nobody blames her."

Sheva appreciated those sentiments.

"That's football," she said. "In any loss, one goal is never on one person. In that moment, it's hard to convince yourself of that. I know how I would have reacted (if it happened to a teammate). The girls looked out for me. I received a ton of messages on social media from Irish fans. They were so supportive. In that moment, I needed that. It was tough."

Sheva started and played left wing against Australia and came off the bench as a right midfielder in Ireland's final two World Cup matches.

Sheva was a contributor on Penn State's 2015 NCAA championship squad as a freshman and finished her collegiate career with 13 goals and nine assists. She tallied three game-winning goals as a senior, after starring in soccer, cross country and track at Pennridge.

The 5-foot-3 Sheva missed the team's homecoming celebration with 8,000 fans in Dublin because she had to return to Washington, where she is in her second season as a center midfielder with the Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League. She's appeared in 10 matches, two of which she started, for a total of 270 minutes this year. Washington heads into the weekend fifth in the jumbled NWSL standings but only two points from the top spot.

"I love the Spirit," Sheva said. "I'm always excited to come back to the team."

But she won't soon forget what it was like playing for Ireland in the World Cup.

"We were in the toughest group to get out of and we proved we belonged at that level," Sheva said. "We put up a fight to all of these incredible (opponents). This is just the beginning for the Irish team."

And the 26-year-old Sheva hopes it's just the beginning for her in international competition, too.

"Any opportunity I'm given in the future to represent Ireland, I'm excited for and will leap at it," Sheva said. "This year being able to represent Ireland and playing international matches is (unforgettable). It'll probably take a while to top playing the host nation in front of 80,000 people. I hope the opportunity comes again."

Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes.com; @TomMoorePhilly

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: For Pennridge grad Sheva, playing for Ireland in World Cup unforgettable