She may have come to the sport of field hockey later than some, but Peabody senior captain Meghan Collins has made up for lost time in a big way.
She had never held a field-hockey stick until her freshman year. She spent two years on the junior-varsity squad before making the leap to varsity as a junior starter at midfield last year. Following the season, she joined the Prime club program, playing year-round.
Now, she is taking her game to another level. Collins announced this week that she has made a verbal commitment to play at Division 3 Lasell University in Newton, where she will join her former Tanner and Prime teammate Jacqueline Scopa.
Collins said she was drawn into the Lasell community from the “moment she first set foot on the campus.”
“I had visited a bunch of other schools including Simmons and Bridgewater, but every time I did, all I could think was this wasn’t Lasell. Lasell felt like home,” Collins said. “It just felt immediately that this was where I was going to go. My heart and my mind were at Lasell. I’m excited to be back playing with Jackie (Scopa) and there also is another girl there who I played club with. They are having an amazing season and I cannot wait to be a part of the team.”
Collins intends to major in either business or cybersecurity. She is a top student at Peabody High, taking AP courses (literature, economics, language, and US history) and a boatload of honors courses, saying, “I’m very focused on my academics.” Collins also serves on the Model U.N. board, working on fundraising and organizing events and activities and was inducted into the National Honor Society and National Technical Honor Society as a junior.
Despite falling short of qualifying for the tournament, Collins said this season has been the best one yet. She credits coach Jillian Tobin, who coaches Collins’ club team, for bringing positivity to the program.
“Jill Tobin was the right coach for the job,” she said. “She was what the team needed. Overall, her stepping into the position at the last minute elevated everyone’s mood. I can only speak so highly of her. She is the reason I am going to play in college. Without her, I would not be committed. When Jill Tobin came in, something clicked. It’s been such a great environment and everyone was so excited.”
Tobin, who also coaches Collins’ club team, said Collins has attended many tournaments and showcases over the last year and “has progressed quite a bit as an athlete.”
“She’s the kind of player every coach wants to coach. As both her high-school and club coach, this announcement makes me proud and excited for her future and path forward,” Tobin said. “She is a leader both on and off the field for both programs. My team would not exist without Meghan. We don’t function well without her. If she ever missed a practice, which she has not, I cannot imagine the flow of it without her on the field.”
Tobin, who also serves as the goalie coach at Lasell, is thrilled with Collins’s decision to become a Laser.
“I get to keep her for another four years,” Tobin said. “I don’t actually have to say goodbye to her, which is extra special.”
While the Tanners will, no doubt, miss Collins’ leadership both on and off the field, Collins is confident that Peabody field hockey is on the right track.
“Even though we didn’t make the tournament this year, this has been my favorite season ever. I know this team is going to be going places either next year or the years after that, there is no doubt in my mind that they are going to make it,” Collins said.
Collins said she treasures her relationship with her fellow captains, Tori McCoy, Ava DiCicco, and Illiana Nikolouzos, who have “known each other forever and have great communication.”
While she will, no doubt, miss her Tanner teammates, Collins is excited about her future at Lasell.
“They are having a killer season, 14-1 going to the tournament and are really kicking butt,” she said. “They are all a family and love each other, which really pushed them to be second in the league. Another huge reason I chose Lasell is it’s like a second family, which is what I have in Peabody.”
