A soccer player from Bucks County is representing Ireland in soccer on the world stage, writes Jonathan Tannenwald for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Irish heritage has helped Sellersville native Marissa Sheva secure a spot on the Irish women’s national soccer team that will take part in the women’s World Cup.

If she makes the cut, the Bucks County native, whose mother has Irish roots, will play for the Republic of Ireland’s women’s national team come July, and she could even face the United States on the pitch.

While at Pennridge High School, Sheva played for U.S. under-14 and under-15 national teams. Later, she played for Penn State’s college powerhouse for four years, until 2018. It took her a few seasons to find the right pro team, but she found solid footing with the Spirit last year.

Then she learned that Ireland was looking to strengthen its team by recruiting Americans with Irish heritage. She notified the program that she already started pursuing Irish citizenship.

Once her paperwork was done, she got a call from the Irish squad last month. She earned her debut cap in a tie with China in Spain.

“Oh, it was awesome,” said Sheva. “The team and the staff were so welcoming.”

Read more about Sellersville’s Marissa Sheva in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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