Mount Vernon Nazarene University

Mt Vernon Nazarene Univ Athletics
800 Martinsburg Road Mount Vernon, OH 43050

NAIA Ohio Midwest

Private Small National competitor

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Sarah Maracani

Extension 3111

Sarah Maracani is entering her sixth season as head coach of Mount Vernon Nazarene University women's soccer. She is 45-38-13 in her career at MVNU, and 58-45-13 overall as a collegiate head coach.

Maracani led her team to back-to-back NAIA National Tourament appearances in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Maracani's team reached the opening round in 2020 in Williamsburg, Kentucky, where the season would end agaisnt the University of Cumberlands, who was ranked No.6 in the nation at the time.

Maracani led the program to a historic season in 2019. The Cougars hosted and won a Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals match on November 2, winning on penalty kicks against Taylor. Maracani's team then earned a berth into the NAIA National Tournament, reaching the Opening Round at Vanguard University (Calif.), where the Cougars fell to Embry-Riddle (Ariz.). Overall, MVNU went 10-7-4, picking up a win over eventual NAIA National runner-up Marian (Ind.) during Crossroads League play.

Maracani's 2018 team saw an offensive improvement over the 2017 season, scoring 35 goals, 12 more than the previous campaign. The Cougars also allowed two fewer goals in 2018 than in 2017, leading to winning one more game over the previous season.

Maracani served as the Head Women's Soccer Coach at NCAA Division III Olivet College (Mich.) during the 2017-2018 season, where she coached the Comets to a 13-7-1 record, a second place finish in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), and a MIAA Tournament Championship appearance.

Maracani has a variety of coaching experience in addition to her time as a Head Coach and an Assistant Coach at Olivet, and recently has been involved in the profession as an Assistant Coach for a girls Olympic Development Team (ODP) in Brighton, Michigan, as a goalkeeper coach for the Cap City Soccer Club in Lansing, Michigan, and as a Michigan State University Summer Camp coach.

Maracani is familiar with the Crossroads League, as she was a four-year starting goalkeeper for Head Coach Jason Crist and the Spring Arbor University Cougars. She graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Exercise Science and a minor in Business Administration.

As a two-year team captain in net, Sarah (Yancer) Maracani had a superlative collegiate career. Amongst a myriad of accomplishments, she garnered All-Crossroads League and All-Region goalkeeper honors three times and was a two-time 2nd Team NAIA All-American (2014, 2015). Her senior season in 2015 was a memorable one, as she was the last line of defense on an NAIA National Championship winning team, being named the National Tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The conclusion of that season saw (Yancer) Maracani and the Spring Arbor defense hold their opponents scoreless over the course of the final ten games of the season (the entirety of the tournament) on the team's way to a then-program best 23 wins and record 19 consecutive victories. Her efforts between the uprights earned her Spring Arbor Female Athlete of the Year honors in 2016, and her accomplished playing career continued with Lansing United, a Midwest region team in United Women's Soccer (UWS).

"I am very honored to be chosen as the next Head Women's Soccer Coach at MVNU," expressed Maracani.

"After playing in the NAIA, I knew that I eventually wanted to also coach in the NAIA. It is even an added bonus that it is in the Crossroads League. I am very excited to be back in a Christ-like environment and I can't wait to get started with this talented group of girls. I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity."

Sarah, who is originally from Freeland, Michigan, joined the MVNU community alongside her husband James Maracani. James is a 2015 graduate of Spring Arbor and former student-athlete himself in baseball at SAU for MVNU Wall of Fame member Sam Riggleman.

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James Maracani

Assistant Coach - 6th Season

James is a 2015 graduate of Spring Arbor and former student-athlete himself in baseball at SAU for MVNU Wall of Fame member Sam Riggleman.