University of Mary Athletics

In the University of Mary’s advance from NAIA to NCAA Division II competition, the Marauders women’s soccer team was immediate successful, earning consecutive Northern Sun conference championships and the school’s first NCAA team tournament berth, and Jessica (Janusz) Keller was the key ingredient.
 
During the Marauders transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, the University of Mary began playing in the Northern Sun Conference in 2006. Following a fifth-place finish in the regular season, the Marauders captured the NSIC postseason tournament by winning three straight games by identical 1-0 scores.
Keller, who had assisted on the team’s lone goal in the semifinals, scored a golden goal in overtime to defeat reigning champion Winona State 1-0 in the championship. She earned all-tournament team and tournament most valuable player honors and made the all-NSIC third team.
 
The Marauders improved to fourth in the NSIC in 2007 and again won the conference tournament, all by 1-0 scores. Keller, an all-NSIC second team choice, scored the lone goal in the tournament opener and again was named to the all-tournament team. The Marauders then became the first University of Mary team to qualify for an NCAA tournament.
The team finished 16-7 and Keller earned all-NSIC first team honors as a senior as the University of Mary finished fourth in the league and made the conference tournament semifinals.
 
Keller finished her career with 30 goals, 22 assists and 82 points. She currently ranks eighth all-time in all three Marauders team career categories. A team captain as a senior, she was a three-time NSIC all-academic team selection (2006-08) and was the University of Mary’s NSIC Women’s Honor Student-Athlete for 2008-09. Keller was an NSCAA all-region third team selection in 2006, a first team choice in 2007 and was named to the Daktronics all-region second team in 2008.
 
A native of Bismarck and a graduate of St. Mary’s Central High School, Keller is the daughter of Jim and Mary Janusz. She graduated from the University of Mary summa cum laude in 2008 before earning her doctorate of optometry from Pacific University. Currently residing in Dickinson, N.D., she an optometrist at Eyewear Concepts. She and her husband, Mike, have a daughter, Brita.