Once An Athlete, Not Always An Athlete

Just by looking at Morgan, you would never guess that merely two years ago, an old pair of ice skates, a rubber puck, and a hockey stick were her most prized possessions.

Pure Talent

There were no girl’s hockey teams when Morgan was just starting out, so her father signed her up for an all boys team in middle school.

Competition with teenage boys was familiar to Morgan, growing up with the two older brothers who didn’t exactly make it easy for her.

“It actually made me a better skater, a tougher skater,” Morgan recalls.

Rice Memorial High School, a Catholic school in South Burlington, Vt. welcomed Morgan to the team as a walk-on freshman year. Her middle school years had finally paid off.

But, over Morgan’s Christmas break that year, things changed when she became victim of a serious skiing accident while vacationing with her father.

“My knees are shot,” she said, rubbing her right knee as if it was painful to think about.

Morgan broke the bone on the inside of both her left and right legs. She underwent surgery and 8 months of rehabilitation, which kept her name off the roster for the first hockey season of her freshman year.

While struggling to get back on her feet, Morgan had no reason to worry because her spot on the team was safe.

Before the start of her final season of hockey, Morgan was nominated to be team captain.
Because a fellow teammate’s mother passed away suddenly, only weeks before, Morgan passed the honor on to her friend.

During her junior and senior year of high school, the Rice Memorial Knights won back-to-back state championships. This was undoubtedly one of Morgan’s greatest accomplishments but she also had another team to keep up with.

Morgan was also a member of a well-recognized women’s hockey team called Glades.

“Being accepted to play for Glades is a big deal because you are playing alongside and against some of the best athletes out there,” Morgan said.

Glades practices were held every morning before school from 4:30-6:30 am at the University of Vermont. Her dad drove her the necessary hour to and from home.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. I had to get up at 3:00 am and I would sleep the whole ride there. Practice was from 4:30 to 6:30 am,” she said.

As if school and practice didn’t take up most of her time already, throw Glades practice sessions and travel games in to the mix. She spent more time on ice than on land.

“It was a part of me for so long. That schedule was all I knew back then,” Morgan said.

Like Father, Like Daughter

For many families up north, ice hockey is a large part of their everyday lives. It is also one of the most expensive sports to play, costing approximately $1200 per season. Due to the high price of hockey gear, Morgan became the owner of hand-me-down equipment from her two older brothers.

Morgan’s father, Skip, has always been a strong supporter of his daughter’s athletic ability. After all, he is a renowned hockey player himself.

Skip played for Boston University and was even presented with an offer to play for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. But, Skip put his hockey dreams on hold and decided made a name for himself in a different way.

Although he chose a different lifestyle, Skip still keeps in touch with a few retired Bruins players.
“The guys come up and visit the family restaurant and reminisce about the old days,” Morgan said.

Reminiscing. That’s one thing Morgan avoids. The majority of her friends at High Point University don’t have the slightest clue that she used to be a star hockey player back in her hometown.

“There was no doubt she was the best on that team. She was headed to the top,” said her father, Skip.

Time For A Change

Morgan had some of the same opportunities as her father. She was recruited by six colleges including Boston University, the University of Vermont, and the University of Maine.

“I considered going to school up north but my dad wanted me to stay close to home, so, of course I wanted to move away,” she said, laughing.
Morgan has one more year left at HPU, yet her father refuses to give up hope.

“I just wish she would come back up north and lace up those skates and get back on that ice,” said Skip wholeheartedly.

He continues to remind Morgan of the numerous phone calls her gets from the schools still interested in what Morgan has to offer, even after all these years.

So, what was it that caused this young hockey star to change her path?

“It was a high school thing,” she explains in her defense, “I was always known as an athlete. I was ready to start new and get out and see new faces.”

No longer does she throw on her customized Glades jacket before she runs out in the cold for a quick smoke. In fact, you won’t find the jacket around at all; Morgan’s most valuable possessions are nowhere to be seen.

Her past life sits tucked away at her mother’s house, more than 800 miles away from her new home in North Carolina.

Despite her reoccurring thoughts of what could have been Morgan says she is content with her life in the south and is ready for whatever the future has in store for her.