Nov. 4, 2010
Throughout the 2010 season, Penn State will feature a student-athlete before every home game. This week, two features will be in the program for the Michigan match (Sunday at 1:00 p.m.) with Megan Monroig and Danielle Toney the subjects for Senior Day.
By Kaitlyn Knopp, GoPSUsports.com Writer
Walking from the soccer practice field in the fading 5:00 p.m. sunlight, Megan Monroig jokingly calls dibs on car seats, laughing with fellow teammates.
"What's better than a Friday or Sunday night being out on Jeffery Field?" Monroig said, her red hair pulled back in a ponytail, gold headband holding down wisps of hair.
Monroig, born March 16, 1989, is a senior in kinesiology, and has played soccer for the Nittany Lions all four years of her college career as defender and midfielder. Her love of the sport, though, started in her Northumberland, Pa. town around the time she was five because of her brother's and sister's interest in the sport.
"Me and my brother decided when I was young that I would play at Penn State," Monroig said.
This promise came to realization when Monroig made the team as a freshman, coming straight off an impressive high school soccer career, leading to her standing in blue shorts and gray soccer shirt on a practice field with the Nittany Lion team as veteran soccer senior.
In high school, Monroig was an NSCCA All-Region Selection from Shikellamy High School. She helped her team earn district championships in 2003, 2004 and 2006, as well as league titles in 2004 and 2006. She was an All-Susquehanna Valley League pick four-times, and as a senior, she was chosen as an All-State selection and led her team to its first win at the PIAA playoffs in the Shikellamy Braves' history. Monroig was also chosen for the PIAA District IV Outstanding Female Athlete and was a district champion on track four years in a row.
Through all her soccer and athletic career, Monroig described her family as "nothing but" supportive. She said family has attended every gameof the Nittany Lion season to cheer her and the team on.
"My mom will be in the stands and yell `number 26!'" Monroig said.
Her parents, Lori and the late Rodney Swineford, had a total of five children including Monroig, with three boys, Anthony, Steven and Victor, and one older daughter, Natalie.
Monroig described some soccer experiences and events she felt were memorable, particularly talking about one game the team had against Northwestern where she knew, "this is what I want to do."
"It was raining, and I love playing in the rain for some reason," Monroig said, staring off smiling. "I hit the ball as hard as I could - and it hit the crossbar."
Laughing, she explained that even missing the goal couldn't take away her happy feeling from that moment.
"It was my first opportunity to really hit the ball," she said. "The exhilaration I felt just from making contact with the ball is a reason I continue to play soccer and love doing it."
Monroig's career with the Nittany Lions began in 2007 where she started in two games as a freshman, though she appeared in 22 of the 24. Her sophomore year she played in all 24 games, starting 12, and in 2009 as a junior she made 20 appearances starting 14 times, a career-best.
Of her game experience, Monroig has scored two goals and eight assists, often playing as right fullback. She totaled 56 shots in her career, was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team in 2008 and 2009.
When her college career ends, Monroig said she is unsure of her plans, though she has started to seriously consider them as a senior.
"I haven't quite set on it," she said. "I want to play [soccer] potentially overseas...I'm not quite ready for the real world yet."
Monroig said that if she had to choose one tract to pursue with her major, after she has finished soccer, she would want to become a physician's assistant.
"If I was smart enough," Monroig said with a laugh. "I'll have to talk to Coach [Walsh] about making that decision."
With her family living about an hour away, Monroig sees them often, though she said she has also found a different type of family on campus.
"I love our team," Monroig said.
She went on to explain the team is "extremely close," and that they look out for each other as a family, and are a supportive group. Talking of their current season, she said they have developed more as a team, making her hopeful for the upcoming games, "though it definitely stinks how our season started out," Monroig said.
"We've been through every sort of up and down," she said.
Ups and downs at times include being a student athlete according to Monroig, explaining she often juggles classes, soccer, and extracurricular activities.
"It's definitely hard to balance," Monroig said.
She said with the support of her team, family and coaches though, the experience and stress is easier to handle. Talking about her team's support, she swiveled to look at her fellow teammates untying cleats, waving goodbye as they exited the field.
"We really are all best friends," Monroig said.
Bantering with her teammates on the edge of the field, their camaraderie becomes apparent as team members shout asking if she has anything left to do, her face breaking into a smile when she replies as she crosses her arms to ward off chill from the gusty autumn wind.
Before leaving the green practice lawn through the field's silver chain gate to join her teammates, Monroig said that if there was one thing she could tell people about women's soccer, it would be it "is not as boring as people think."
"When we're playing the field, we're buzzing," Monroig said. "It's great."
--NITTANY LIONS--