Meghan Sonia signs letters of intent

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Meghan Sonia, a senior at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS), signed letters of intent on Friday morning at the high school gym to play both field hockey and ice hockey at Anna Maria College in Paxton.

Meghan was joined by her parents Micheline and Jay, MVRHS athletic director Mark McCarthy, assistant ice hockey Coach Nell Coogan, assistant field hockey Coach Beth O’Connor, and a large group of friends and classmates.

Sonia, who also plays varsity softball in the spring, was a senior captain and a league all-star in both sports at MVRHS, and led the varsity girls ice hockey team in scoring the past two seasons. She played all four years at the varsity level on the ice, and three years on varsity in field hockey.

“I’m very proud,” her father said. “She worked hard for it. The school she’s going to is awesome. The coaches up there are phenomenal. It’ll be exciting.”

Micheline added, “Mom is very, very proud of her; very excited to watch her play at the collegiate level, and also very excited to see what the future brings to the ‘Meg’s 12’” (in reference to her No. 12 jersey).

Lisa Knight, Meghan’s head field hockey Coach, could not attend, but spoke to her star defender via laptop.

“I’m proud of her,” Coach Knight said in a phone conversation with The Times. “I know she’s a very special young lady. Offense gets the fame, but defense wins games. They [defenders] don’t get as much credit as they deserve. It was a privilege to coach her.”

Knight, who retired last fall after 20 years as varsity head coach, recalled a touching moment following a 1-0 playoff loss to Cohasset in November, her last game as coach and Meghan’s last in a Vineyard uniform. “Meghan was walking toward me, we were both crying. Then, the Anna Maria College coach [Brooke Brigham] walked up to us. It was bittersweet. It was the ending of her career as a player and mine as a coach. She’s extraordinary, and I know she is going to do great at Anna Maria College. I’m going to learn how to be a fan. I’m thrilled and excited for her.”

MVRHS girls varsity ice hockey Coach John Fiorito could not attend due to a prior commitment at the Charter School. Assistant Coach Nell Coogan spoke during the signing, calling Sonia “a fierce competitor on and off the ice.” She also praised Meghan and varsity boys captain Ian Trance for their work in teaching good sportsmanship to Martha’s Vineyard Youth Hockey players.

After putting pen to paper, Meghan thanked her coaches, teammates, parents, and sister Jessica. She described her father being like “the voice in my head, through good games and bad games, analyzing what we could have done better,” and her mother as “the best supporter,” adding, “I can’t wait for the next four years at Anna Maria, wearing red, and I cannot have asked for a better Mom to have a jersey.”

“It’s amazing, like a dream come true,” Meghan said after the signing. “For four years I’ve wanted this moment, and [for it] to actually come true is really awesome.” Looking back on her high school career, she said, “Not a bad memory. It all led to this moment. I’m very excited, and I’m definitely going to miss it. All the teams and all the friendships, the coaches, everything. I’m going to miss it all, but I’m excited for my future.”