Thunderbirds Week: Marilena Spagnolo looks to close out amazing year with more silverware

(Photo Credit: Rich Lam/UBC Thunderbirds)

It’s been quite the whirlwind of a year for UBC Thunderbirds goalkeeper Marilena Spagnolo, and a very successful one at that.

After lifting the 2026 Ontario Premier League title with Simcoe County Rovers, Spagnolo and her semi-pro side made history in the inaugural Women’s Canadian Championship, knocking off the soon to be crowned Northern Super League champions Montreal Roses 1-0 in their quarter-final match-up, keeping a clean sheet against the pro side.

Spagnolo followed that up last weekend by lifting the Canada West championship with UBC in her first year with the program, but there one more final piece of the puzzle to put together before Spagnolo calls an end to 2026 – lifting a U SPORTS nationals women’s championship on home turf.

“It was a privilege to be able to work with UBC last year because I’m doing my Masters,” Spagnolo told AFTN. “I wasn’t able to play last year, so now to be able to fill in and help the team. I’m very honoured. This is my first U SPORTS nationals ever, but right now I’m just taking it a game at a time, but I’m excited for our team and what we’re building right now.”

After three years at Brock University in St. Catharines, where she was a three-time OUA West All-Star and two-time team MVP, the Ontario native headed to the pro ranks, playing two years in Spain and Portugal before heading back home after an injury to finish her studies, with UBC being one of the best schools in the country both academically and on the football field.

“I’ve always wanted to do my Masters and I think the game in Canada is growing, so it’s nice to be home with family, with friends,” Spagnolo said. “I want to be part of that and help younger generations see that we can stay in Canada, play in Canada, and also represent women’s sports here.

“It’s one of the top schools and everyone has the mindset to work hard. It’s completely different [to what I’ve experienced before], but I find here, I’m able to step up my game. There’s so many quality players. They just bring another edge towards it and bring things that’s challenging me and I like a challenge because I don’t like to stay comfortable. I like to always have courage over comfort with everything. It’s beautiful here and I like to grow here.”

Photo: Rich Lam/UBC Thunderbirds

After lifting silverware with Simcoe County and with one trophy already lifted with the Thunderbirds, Spagnolo has been using that cupset against the Roses to inspire her this college season, with a first ever nationals title for her now just three games away.

“It’s quite funny, I always listen to the video with my coach Zack Wilson,” Spagnolo added. “I always listen to it before a UBC game now because it just brings me chills and it just brings me back to that moment that I’ve been working so hard in my life for. I didn’t go the ODPL route, I didn’t necessarily go the pathway that everyone goes, and my workrate and determination led me to that game with a great group of girls. So I always think back to that and go back to that speech that he made, just to bring down my nerves.

“I look back and it was surreal. I still can’t imagine it and I’m excited to see them again, but I know that I have a great group here that’s doing the exact same thing and bringing that energy, so I’m going to keep that here.”

Officially a Senior, the 28-year-old will just be one and done in her time as a Thunderbird, and with her Masters in Kinesiology done, it’s going to be time once again for Spagnolo to think to the future. With her experience over in Europe and with the NSL continuing to grow, Spagnolo hopes she’ll get a chance to continue her career here at home.

But whatever lies ahead, she’s just taking it in her stride, and enjoying every moment of the best footballing year of her life.

“Yes, it is,” Spagnolo admits. “I took a tough time with my ACL back in 2023 and I got back to it in 2024, hoping I’d be playing again, however things didn’t happen. So 2025 and 2026 has just shown that your work, your commitment, your discipline, and your resilience can get you to where you want to be and I’m just holding on for the ride right now. I’m just taking every little thing right now because you never know never know when it’s going to end.”