Heather Hathorn and Maureen McHugh, who became friends because of soccer, have played their final game together.
The young women, teammates on travel teams and for two years at Scarborough High School, recently finished out their senior seasons with the University of Maine. It marks the end of a long union.
When McHugh was in middle school, her family moved to Scarborough from Ohio. Even before they’d arrived in Maine, her father was laying the groundwork for his daughter’s soccer future.
“My dad contacted Heather when we were moving because he heard that she was good, and he wanted to start a travel team here,” said McHugh, home from Orono for Thanksgiving break, as was her teammate. “So she played on our team and would commute to Scarborough from Alfred. Eventually she just moved here because soccer became so important.”
When Hathorn’s family decided to move closer to Portland because her brother was attending Cheverus High School, relocating in Scarborough made sense.
“I knew all the girls here from playing travel team,” she said.
As Red Storm teammates in high school, the pair was part of consecutive state championships in 1998 and 1999 for coach Heather Labbe.
Hathorn then transferred to the Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut for two years, and in her senior season scored 23 goals for a team that won the New England prep school championship.
McHugh, meanwhile, set the Scarborough record for career goals with 59.
The friends reunited at UMaine, where they reached the America East title game for the past three seasons, only to come up short each time – most recently losing 2-1 in double overtime to Boston University in early November.
Hathorn led the Black Bears in scoring in three of her four seasons and set the school record with 35 career goals. McHugh improved so that by senior year she started every game.
“I came in as a freshman, not expecting to see any playing time,” said McHugh. “I worked really hard and I learned a lot. I feel like I became a better player from playing with good people and good coaching.”
“It was a lot of fun, just being up there with the girls,” Hathorn said. “Our team was really close.”
Hathorn, who’s studying phys ed and coaching, said it’s likely she’ll play for a semi-pro soccer team in Ottawa or Boston next summer.
“And then…I don’t know about real life,” she joked.
A nursing major, McHugh will look for a job, possibly in Boston.
“Being a student-athlete is a good experience because it helps you with time management and keeps you on top of things,” McHugh said. “I love being part of a team and working together.”
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