Alumni Spotlight: Meghan Toohey
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
March 11, 2015
Meghan Toohey (2010-13) was a key member of the Class of 2013 that helped return Michigan women's soccer to national prominence. After being absent from postseason play for three seasons, head coach Greg Ryan and that extremely talented Class of 2013 helped the Wolverines advance to the NCAA Tournament in three out of four seasons (2010, '12, '13), including a thrilling run to the NCAA Elite Eight in Toohey's senior year in 2013. The Philadelphia, Philadelphia, native scored three goals during that 2013 tournament run, including the lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Notre Dame to send U-M to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second time in program history and first time since 2002. Throughout her four-year career, Toohey and the Wolverines compiled an overall record of 53-22-10, including a 32-8-6 record on their home field. Toohey was an immediate impact player for Michigan, being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2010, and then culminating her career in 2013 as one of four team captains, as well as a NSCAA All-America and All-Great Lakes Region selection. Known for her incredible work ethic and aggressive style of play, Toohey was presented with the Michigan Hustle Award during her junior and senior seasons.
Upon graduation in 2013, she remained in Ann Arbor to serve as a program assistant with the women's soccer program. Following that experience at her alma mater, her dream of playing soccer professionally came true, as she signed a contract to play in Sweden with Kvarnsveden. After settling in Sweden, Toohey talked with MGoBlue.com to discuss her Michigan experience, both as a student-athlete and program assistant, as well as the start of her professional career.
Q. You received Michigan's Hustle Award twice -- what kind of player did you strive to be?
A. I think that part of accepting what kind of player you want to be is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. I knew I wasn't the most skillful player, but I always wanted to leave everything on the field and play with my heart. It was really cool when I received those awards for our coaches to recognize that I hustle, because that's the kind of player I wanted to be. Coaches always say growing up that if hustle meets skill that hustle always wins so I kind of embodied that quote.
Q. Your senior class is one of the best classes to play at Michigan and had a lot of success. What was it like being part of that class?
A. I think we had a really special class, but what really bonded us together was that belief in doing something that's greater than yourself. Everybody played their senior year not just because it was our last year, but because when you do it together it adds something special to your field performance. It was also apparent in our training sessions and our offseason workouts -- we all just wanted it for each other. Having nine girls with that same vision, it trickled down through the whole team and we all wanted to win for Michigan. When I think back to that senior year with my class, that's the one thing that stands out -- wanting to win and doing anything to win.
Q. You helped Michigan advance to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second time in program history in 2013. What was that run like for you and your teammates?
A. Being experienced in the NCAAs after making it my freshman and junior seasons, we knew we had a good team and knew we could go far, but it was about taking that season one day at a time. We wanted to make it far in the tournament, but we knew we had to take care of each game and each practice as it came. We couldn't have made it to the Elite Eight without the belief that we were going to win. The journey of hosting all the way through the Sweet 16 was so cool -- there's nothing better than winning on your home field. We pretty much played on an ice rink against Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, but our belief in each other allowed us to be successful.
Q. What are some of your favorite soccer memories during your time at Michigan?
A. There are so many great memories. I think if you asked any one of my teammates, we'd all say beating Penn State on its field my senior year was one of our best memories. Also, my freshman year we played at Northwestern with sideways, freezing rain and that game was a lot of fun to play in. And then beating Notre Dame in the Sweet 16 on our home field. There was something extra special about that game -- it was just pure joy that we shared as a team.
Left: Meghan Toohey in action // Right: The Class of 2013 that helped lead U-M to the 2013 NCAA Elite Eight
Q. What did it mean to you to cap your senior year as an All-American and attend the banquet in your hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
A. It was awesome that the banquet was in Philly. The coaches all came and unfortunately Nkem (Ezurike) couldn't attend with me, or maybe not unfortunately because she was training with the Canadian National Team (laughing). That honor was really unexpected so I think looking back and being at the banquet, it was really cool to be acknowledged for the work you've put in. I was so honored to play at Michigan and accomplish what we did and there's no way I could have earned that honor without the whole team. I look at our senior class and know that so many others deserved that award so it felt great that Michigan in general was recognized for all that we did.
Q. What was it like representing Michigan as a captain as a senior?
A. I remember the day at the banquet my junior year when Greg (Ryan) told us who the captains were going to be. It's a role that you feel honored to do and you just have an automatic instinct to do what you've been taught by those who came before you. We had fantastic captains like Clare (Stachel) and Haley (Kopmeyer) and Holly (Hein). Coming in as a freshman, you think you want to play for Michigan and are so excited to be here, but it's not until you're here and you really understand the tradition and what people sacrifice just to play a game that you understand what being a captain really means. Being a captain, I could see myself saying things that captains before me had said. It was so surreal to be in their shoes and take on that responsibility. I knew that if I didn't fulfill my role as a captain properly, the underclassmen weren't going to get the same experience that I had. That passion for Michigan and for your teammates is something that's passed on from class to class. Holly , Shelina (Zadorsky), Nkem and I all believed in that together.
Q. What was it like serving as a program assistant for your former team?
A. It was such a great experience to transition from playing to being on the coaching staff and seeing everything through coaches eyes. I really liked being able to talk to Greg (Ryan) and understand how much goes into every practice and game. Everything is so thought out, and I knew that as a player, but seeing it first hand was so great. There is so much that administration does and the coaching staff and support staff does for game day and practices to happen. It was also nice to be there for my former teammates. When they were struggling early in the season, I was able to be there for them and help them through tough times and instill belief in them. As a program assistant I learned what it took to be on staff and what went on behind the scenes for everything to happy -- from the girls getting their water to booking hotels. I was also like a mom to the girls (laughing) -- I was able to make sure they had everything they needed to be comfortable and prepared for each game.
Q. You've been in Sweden for a little more than a month now -- how are things going so far?
A. Sweden has been awesome. I must say the time difference took a few weeks to adjust! The first practice was such a blur -- my body could not tell if it was morning or night. Thankfully, my coaches and the girls were very understanding. Evidently it happens to all the Americans who come over. I am living in an apartment with two other Americans, Sarah who played at Syracuse and Adeliada who played at UNC. They are great people as well as great soccer players. The great thing about living here is that everyone here speaks VERY good English. It is really nice that my team can speak English so well, but it's awesome to be able to walk into stores and restaurants and be understood -- especially when I want to go into a café to take a "fika." It's a Swedish term for when friends hang out, drink coffee and eat baked goods together, and let me tell you the Sweds know how to bake!
As far as soccer goes, the facilities we have are great! We practice both indoors and outside depending on the day. The turf outdoors is heated, so even if it snows the field is still perfect. It's really convenient! And the girls here, they are fierce. They remind me so much of Michigan with how hard they play and their will to win. So far in preseason, our record is 2-1, with the one loss to a very good team. It's promising and I believe we could be very successful this season! Although I'm living in a different country surrounded by a new culture and different faces, as soon as I'm on the field I feel right at home, not over 3,000 miles away. That is one of the reasons I love this sport. I was blessed to play four amazing years at Michigan. Now I am just so happy to be given this opportunity, and I can already tell this is an experience of a lifetime.
The Office of Alumni Engagement strives to foster a community, recognize the holistic student-athlete and honor the great Michigan Athletics history. This alumni spotlight illustrates the impact that our alumni are having around the world and how they stay engaged with Michigan.
