NDSU Soccer Freshman Overcomes Hardship to Win Summit League Player of the Year Award

FRESHMAN FORWARD MORGAN RUSSMANN BECOMES FIRST FRESHMAN EVER TO WIN SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) –It’s been quite the season for freshman forward Morgan Russmann. With Eight Summit League goals and four game-winners, she led league play in both categories. She credits her success this season to her teammates, but also something a little more special to her.

“I think that this season I also had a lot more to play for,” said Russmann. “My grandpa unexpectedly passed away this summer right before I came up, so I just think that having something bigger to play for means a lot. It gave me a lot of momentum to have the kind of season that I did, so I just think playing for him and for the team behind me because they’re a great group to play for.”

Russmann’s success on the pitch this season helped her become the first ever freshman to win the Summit League’s Player of the Year award (She also won the Newcomer award given to a freshman.) That, coupled with helping her team capture their first regular season title since 2016, has her feeling she’s impressing her grandpa watching from above.

“He was like my best friend and my biggest supporter,” said Russmann. “So, just doing what I can to do it for him and just continue to show him what I can do. I know he’d be proud.”

The success for Russmann should not come as a surprise. At Pleasant Valley High School, she broke the all-time Iowa high school scoring record of 109, finishing with 137 goals in four seasons, including a record 47 her senior year. Yet, what she’s doing at the college level continues to impress her teammates every day.

“I give her a bunch of props for coming in as a freshman and really just carrying on that confidence,” said redshirt sophomore Payton Mulberry. “Sometimes, coming in as a freshman, you know, it’s a new place. You don’t really know what’s going on. So, I have to give her a lot of credit for coming in with a lot of confidence and truly has been a great addition to the team.”

Sophomore defender Amaya Garrett shares a similar outlook.

“Having someone up there you can count on and know that it’s going to put the ball away,” said Garrett. “Anytime she has the ball at her feet, we just know something’s going to happen. So yeah, it’s been amazing to watch from the back line.”

It’s not easy taking on a leadership role in your freshman season, but Russmann feels she has the team’s trust, and pressure is absent.

“The people around me just trust and support me so much,” said Russmann. “They’ve never really doubted me, and they just give me all the confidence. So honestly, I haven’t really felt the pressure because I have them around. I think that it’s just doing what we love, and I have so many good people around me that it makes my job a lot easier because of what they do. It takes the load off of me. I think because of their support, trust and faith they have in me, I think it makes it all possible.”

The incredible season from Russmann and the Bison is not over. NDSU hosts the Summit League tournament semifinals and championship match November 7/10 at Dacotah Field in Fargo.

NDSU will play Oral Roberts at 3:30 P.M. and South Dakota State will play Denver beforehand at 12 P.M.