The one thing every high school student has, in a plentiful supply, is
stress. The pressure of earning good grades, fitting in with their
peers, and much more increases each year, and it peaks during a
student’s junior year as she starts looking for colleges to attend.
For athletes who would like to continue their sport in college, the
sports recruiting proccess adds yet another level of stress to this
already pressure-packed year.

Senior Margaret Terhune, has dreamed of playing college soccer.

“I have been playing soccer since I was 4 years old,” said Terhune,
“and playing college soccer has always been my ultimate dream.”

Terhune is a starting forward on the varsity soccer team, but also
starts on her travel team: Michigan Rush ’97. Each week, Terhune
trains hard both on the field and in the gym.

“It is important that I do a lot of work outside of practice,” said
Terhune. “Soccer games are not only won with skill, but also
endurance. It is imperative that I am able to go 100% for more than 90
minutes.”

Terhune’s travel team is part of an elite league called Midwest
Regional League (MRL) and she constantly travels out of state for her
games.

“We have gone to Iowa, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio,
Illinois, and more for both tournaments and league games,” said
Terhune.  “Sometimes it is crazy to travel so far and only play two
games. You know it is all worth it, though, when you see the college
scouts lined up on the sideline.”

This schedule can make it difficult to keep up with homework and
studies, Terhune explained.

“When I travel, I have to bring my overnight bag, my soccer bag, and my homework…. Doing school work in

the car is not ideal, but sometimes that’s what it takes.”

Terhune knows first-hand how difficult it is to play college soccer.
The application process is extensive, and it all depends on what
positions coaches need on their teams.

Terhune also is suffering from multiple injuries that have hindered
her soccer journey.

“I have ankle and calf issues that may require surgery to be fixed,”
said Terhune.  “I am constantly caught in the struggle between playing
and risking a more extensive injury, or sitting the bench and letting
my team down.”

She also broke her collarbone after getting tripped in a game a few years ago.
“Soccer is a very aggressive sport. Girls are chippy and don’t always
know how to control their anger. I mean, look at that player who
pulled another girl down by her ponytail.” said Terhune.

Through all this, Terhune was able to catch the eye of multiple
college coaches. She got a few offers but didn’t feel the schools were
a good fit for her. It wasn’t until she talked to the coach from St.
Lawrence University in Canton, New York that she knew she had found
the perfect school.

“Everything just started to fall into place,” said Terhune.  “I knew
it was a school that I could thrive at and the coach was really
helpful. I loved the campus and it just felt like I had found the
school I had been searching for.”

Terhune committed over the summer to St. Lawrence for soccer. “I can’t
wait to meet the team and see where I will be living. It is nice
knowing I already have my team to be my friend before I even start
school.”

Terhune has completed her application process and now can sit back and
enjoy her time as a senior. She is in the middle of her final season
as a Rush player and is still working hard. As her college season
approaches, Terhune plans to begin more intense workouts similar to
those she will be doing at St. Lawrence.

“It is like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. There is
no better feeling than knowing that everything I have done was worth
it,” said Terhune. “I am so lucky to have had such great teammates
between Mercy and Rush. They have always been so supportive of me and
never let me give up on my…dreams, even when they felt so out of
reach.”