Marshall Hollingsworth a LHS soccer player who played pro

• The following is part of an ongoing series of articles in celebration of Libertyville High School's 100th anniversary.

Marshall Hollingsworth is a 2012 LHS grad who played professional soccer. While at LHS, Hollingsworth was a three year starting varsity midfielder. He was two year All-State player, one of those seasons was the fall 2010 season when LHS finished second in the state. He was named to the 2011 All-Midwest team and selected as captain of the 2011 All-Lake County team.

Hollingsworth was recruited by 35 Division 1 college programs. Although he was strongly considering Marquette or St. Louis University, he instead chose to attend Wheaton College. He decided he wanted to attend a Christian college and wasn't interested in the Division I time commitment.

Hollingsworth became an immediate starter at Wheaton. He finished his career as a four-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin First Team midfielder. He was a two time CCIW player of the year, and the CCIW Newcomer of the Year his freshmen year. Hollingsworth had 45 career goals. He saved his best for his last year scoring 22 goals his senior year.

Based on his Wheaton College performance, Hollingsworth was the number-41 pick by the Columbus Crew in the 2016 MSL draft. He made the team both years but was loaned out to their affiliate team, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

The Crew brought Hollingsworth up for the 2016 U.S. Open Cup Tournament. He got the start in a game with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and had the winning goal in a 2-1 win.

While playing very well last year for the Riverhounds, Hollingsworth felt he would be able to play professionally well into his 30s, provided his body held up. Unfortunately it didn't. After four previous surgeries on his left knee, he was having pain after each training session and game. He is scheduled for a meniscus and cartilage transplant soon. With the hope that this surgery will be successful and allow him to walk normally for many years to come, Hollingsworth decided to call his pro career quits.

He is currently working on the National Sales Team at Coyote Logistics. Although he misses soccer he is glad to finally have his weekends free for the first time in his life.

Although Hollingsworth is the only LHS Soccer player to reach the pro level, Baggio Husidic, a 2007 LHS graduate, is currently playing professional soccer, in his fifth year with the LA Galaxy. He played for the Chicago Fire in 2010. Rather than playing high school soccer, Baggio played club soccer during high school years. He played in college for UI-Chicago before beginning his pro career.