By Ellie Smith
Features Editor

Dribbling up the field, senior Meghan Thomasch displays incredible foot skills and an ability to consistently make accurate passes to get the ball up the field as quickly as possible. Her ability to create space for herself by effortlessly moving around her opponent quickly makes her stand out among other players on the soccer field.

“Her foot skills are incredible as well as her distribution and field vision. She’s able to settle the ball with one touch, put a move or two on her opponent, create space and either distribute or dribble penetrate,” said Westford Academy Girls’ Soccer varsity coach Tracy Capone.

Both her coach and teammates feel that Thomasch displays an intense desire for success that stands out among other plays and she makes it a goal to motivate her teammates to work as hard as they can in order to excel on the field.

“Meg is a role model for the rest of her team when it comes to work ethic,” said Capone. “She brings an intensity to the game and a desire to win. She has that competitive fire that is intrinsic. It can’t be coached.” 

Senior captain Logan Ahearn said, “Meghan is an extremely valuable player who I’ve loved playing with these past few years. On the field, Meghan is intense and always works as hard as she can every game. She has amazing foot skills and always gives constructive criticisms to her teammates.”

Thomasch has been playing soccer since she was six years old. She participated in town soccer until she was about nine years old, when she began playing for a competitive club team.

She tried out for the soccer team at WA at the beginning of her freshman year and made the varsity team as a freshman; she has been playing for the varsity team ever since.

Thomasch has played on the club team FC Stars Massachusetts since the age of nine and this year will be her last year playing for the club before she goes to college.

Though she played basketball when she was younger, soccer has always been her favorite sport to participate in. She enjoys the competitive aspect of the sport and especially loves playing on a team.

“I just love the competitiveness and playing for a team. I feel like sports that are more individual aren’t as rewarding because teamwork is important,” said Thomasch. “I just really love the sport.”

Junior teammate Lauren Walter has loved playing with Thomasch for the past two years and feels she can always count on her not only on the field, but off the field as well.

“Meghan is such a great leader and I know that myself and everyone else really looks up to her. Not only is she an amazing player, but she’s an amazing person. She’s always someone the team can rely on and she really is such a positive aspect to the team,” said junior teammate Lauren Walter.

Thomasch began focusing on college at the start of her freshman year. She started sending emails to scouts and being evaluated by colleges during her freshman year.

After months of thinking about her decision, Thomasch committed to Stonehill College to play Division II soccer during May of her junior year.

“The recruitment process was very long and difficult. I had to start getting recruited by freshman year, but the most serious recruitment started junior year and that is when I had to start narrowing down my decision,” she said. “I was deciding between two school towards the end. I had to decide between Division I and Division II, but I just saw myself more at Stonehill even though it is Division II. I toured the school and met the team and the coach, and I just really could see myself going there.”

Thomasch is undecided on her major going into her freshman year and is unsure of what profession she wants to go into after college, however she is hoping to eventually determine a major after taking classes next year.

Though she does not plan to play soccer competitively after college, she hopes to continue to play for fun.

“Hopefully, I won’t have to stop [playing], but I know that it won’t be as prominent in my life as it is now. I maybe hope to join some older person league,” she said laughing.

Capone will miss having Thomasch on the team and the incredible skill that she adds to the group.

“I’ll also miss her ability to create and distribute from the center mid-field. Her position will be hard to match next year,” said Capone.

In addition to her soccer skills, Thomasch’s teammate appreciate her for her friendship on and off of the field, and though they will miss having her on the team, they are confident she will succeed at Stonehill College next year.

“My favorite thing about Meghan is that she is a loyal friend teammate and to me, a best friend. She will always stick up for you no matter what the cost. She has been my favorite person to play with and I’m going to miss playing with her next year, but I know she will kill it at Stonehill,” said Ahearn.