McKenzie Meehan: Simply The Best

If you ever get the chance, flip through a sports team's record book. You'll see immortal faces and moments imprinted in black and white. You'll see heroes and legends, all of whom carved out their time. You'll see statistics serving as the documentation of the highs and lows.

Among those legends, certain names stand above the others. They're the best of the best, the ones people talk about reverently because they remember seeing them play. They're the record breakers and holders. They're the ones often called to the highest of highs in the sport.

They might look like just names, but they represent so much more, each with their own complex, once-in-a-lifetime story.

Let's start 83 minutes into Eagles women's soccer game against Pittsburgh this season, when the Maroon and Gold led, 2-0. Sophomore Gaby Carreiro found redshirt senior McKenzie Meehan on a cross from the sideline, and Meehan's head found the ball. The ball found the back of the net, an icing on the cake of a 3-0 victory.

For Meehan, it was so much more. Already the program's all-time goal scorer, her 55th career strike awarded her two points, elevating her career total to 118 where she now stands alone as the program's all-time leading scorer.

"It was a very exciting moment," said Meehan. "I had known that (the record) was getting close, but to get it on a defining goal like that is extra exciting. And it was great to see my teammates celebrate and be able to share that moment with them."

At the surface, it feels like something we all should've expected, especially if we rewind to the beginning. A two-time Rhode Island Gatorade Player of the Year, she was a star for a LaSalle Academy squad that didn't lose a game in her four years. The leading scorer in the country as a senior, she finished with 181 career goals before making her decision to come to Chestnut Hill to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"I loved the balance that BC offered me between athletics and academics," said Meehan. "Being from Rhode Island, it was close to home, so I was still close to my family and my friends - but it also gave me a chance to compete in the ACC."

There's the natural storyline in the next chapter, where someone from high school star to college rookie resets the level of expectations. That's where the best player on the field in high school becomes the newcomer learning to play with new teammates in a new environment.

"I never imagined this would be possible (when I came to BC)," said Meehan. "As a freshman, I just tried to commit to the team and earn playing time."

She earned that time - and more. An All-ACC Freshman honoree, she finished the 2012 season third on the team in scoring with nine goals, including a game-winner over Connecticut.

Then came the breakout sophomore campaign. Meehan finished the season with 41 points, including 20 goals, potting a hat trick against Hofstra. Along with nine game-winning goals, she became the most prolific single-season goal scorer in BC history. Along with her efforts, the Eagles advanced to the Elite Eight of the College Cup.

That led to national recognition. Selected as a member of the United States U-20 National Team, she scored a hat trick in a 10-0 thumping of Guatemala, then followed it up with two more against Trinidad and Tobago in the semifinals. Finishing with six goals, she won Co-Golden Boot honors with Mexico's Tanya Samarzich but got the last laugh as USA defeated their rivals for the tournament championship (shutting out the entire tournament along the way).

"It's a totally different type of game (on the world stage)," said Meehan. "You get the best of the best from college and from club teams that it's such a competitive environment. As a player, it does a great job of making you realize your strengths, but it also helps you recognize your weaknesses."

The rest of the book flips like a Hollywood story. Seemingly at the height of her powers, there was the Achilles' injury that sidelined her for the FIFA Women's U-20 World Cup and the entire 2014 college season. There was the redemption chapter in 2015, where she rebounded to lead the ACC in goals scored with 17. There was the goal against Pittsburgh last October that broke the program's all-time record. There were the two goals and two assists in a 5-4 overtime win over Miami.

This year, for the second straight season, Meehan earned honors on the Hermann Trophy's Preseason Watch List (soccer's Heisman Trophy), then rattled off nine straight games with at least a goal or an assist, culminating with the header against Pittsburgh to break the single-season record.

It's a pinnacle and a culmination of everything and everyone who's helped on the road up the mountain.

"There's a lot of people (who helped along the way)," said Meehan. "and they all helped with my development. When I was a freshman in high school, I started playing for Scorpions for club team for Fred Marks. It was a really competitive environment, and it's where I saw that maybe I could play in college."

The best part? There's still plenty of time to keep writing the book, to keep putting the notes onto the pages and create the memories for people to say they "saw her when."

"In the ACC, you really have to focus on one game at a time," said Meehan, "especially as we're moving closer to playoff season. Every game has to help get you the highest possible seed, which is what everyone wants to help get to their ultimate goal (as a team)."

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