This is the end
Look at that leg muscle /Image: Arthur Ward
Meagan Cormier’s Cougars career comes to a close
Article: Paige Kreutzwieser – Staff Writer
One of the most successful seasons in Cougars women’s soccer history, becoming the U of R’s all-time scoring leader, a member of the Canada women’s soccer team and competing in the Summer Universaide – all of that just barely scratches the surface of what kind of legacy soccer star Meagan Cormier will leave at the University of Regina.
Cormier just finished her fifth year as a Cougar, unfortunately in a loss to the University of Victoria in the Canada West quarterfinals.
“I’m definitely sad, but I think it still hasn’t hit me,” said the team’s captain, admitting school has been keeping her busy and since most of her closest friends are part of the team, she hasn’t felt like her time as a Cougar is done. “But, next year when the season comes around, I think it will hit me more.”
However, it may not even be done. Cormier will be returning to the U of R to complete her degree in Kinesiology, and coaching may be an option.
“I think [Head Coach Bob Maltman and I] will meet about it, whether it’s next year or years forward that I could help out. I would love to get into high-level coaching,” explained Cormier.
She joked that her teammates may not specifically like her coaching them, but she hopes that she will still be able to create more memories with her former team as she finishes her degree within the next year.
Cormier is happy with the overall success of the team this year.
“I think coming into this year we all had really high expectations of ourselves and we were all hoping that we could go further than last year,” she said, speaking of when the team had snagged a spot in the Final Four.
However, the team can certainly boast success for this year, as they were able to make playoffs again alongside all of the experience they have gained – especially Cormier.
“It’s been a really long year because I have been gone so much travelling with soccer,” said Cormier adding she was battling minor injuries throughout the season because of the toll on her body.
Cormier, and the rest of the Cougars squad, travelled to Mexico in May to promote soccer, practice with women’s teams in the country, educate and teach kids in the area, and especially to grow as individual players and a team.
[pullquote]“I think [Head Coach Bob Maltman and I] will meet about it, whether it’s next year or years forward that I could help out. I would love to get into high level coaching,” explained Cormier.[/pullquote]
Individually, Cormier also travelled east in the summer. She trained for two weeks in Poland with the Canadian University women’s team, before they went to Russia to compete in the World University Games.
“I think just this whole past year has been one the best years of my life,” said Cormier.
Being one of the top players to come through the U of R women’s soccer program, Cormier has always had pressure to perform at a high level.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself, too,” she said. “I would always expect myself to do the best. But I think I have overcome that a lot and especially [Bob Maltman] has helped me with that a lot over the years.”
And when it came to her breaking the all-time scoring record, she said she had thought about it but it wasn’t a pressing issue.
“I don’t really care if I broke it,” she said. “It was not something that was always on my mind.”
Cormier was able to achieve 21 goals in her five-season career, beating the previous record of 18, set by Jessica Waller. Not only is she the all-time record holder in goals, she also holds the title in the assist category as well.
Although she hasn’t decided where or what she exactly wants to focus on, she said continuing her soccer career as a player is something she would like to have happen.
However, Cormier expressed that she would like to personally travel and to have school as a priority.
“Right now, I am kind of excited for a little bit of a break, especially since [soccer] has practically been my whole life.”
