Megan Kane is a soccer star that burns bright.
The Holy Spirit High School senior is known for giving every ounce of energy on the field for the betterment of her team.
“I can’t sit still,” Kane said with a laugh. “I’m the type of person that always needs to be doing something. I’m a hard worker.”
When she’s on top of her game, Kane can be dynamic, making plays in the midfield or beating goaltenders with her hard shot. The only problem is Kane has a tough time shifting down a gear when her body is calling for it.
“She not only is a great kid but she is the definition of leaving it all on the field,” said Spartans soccer coach Christine Conaghy, a 2017 Holy Spirit grad. “She runs until the wheels fall off. I actually have to tell her to stop working so hard because she will literally start to get calf cramps and we’ll have to take her out. Getting her to conserve her energy has been our biggest struggle.”
Although they enjoyed a successful season, Holy Spirit has struggled a bit in terms of the number of players on its roster. During a thrilling 2-1 victory over Moorestown Friends School in the first round of the South Jersey Non-Public B playoffs, the Spartans had just one available substitute after an already small roster was reduced further by a few injuries.
“This year has been mediocre, but not because of the girls we have. The players have been incredible,” Conaghy said. “But we struggle with numbers and we had a few really tough injuries that have caused us to struggle. What happens is we start off strong but we run out of gas. And there’s not much we can do.”
Some games the Spartans have zero subs. Kane sees it as a challenge that brings out the best in her team.
“It’s definitely tough but it brings us all closer together since we’re all playing the full 80 minutes,” she said.
A knee injury caused Kane to sit out the last two regular season games, and she was badly missed as the Spartans lost both. But she returned in time for the playoffs and scored the first goal of the game — her seventh of the year — against Moorestown Friends. Freshman Gabriela Sabatine scored the game winner to send the Spartans into the quarterfinals.
“It was important for me to get back (on the field for the playoffs),” Kane said. “Being it was my senior year, I wanted to get back and go out with a win.”
Holy Spirit finished its season with a 6-9-1 record, but Kane’s athletic journey is far from over. Next up is basketball season, followed by lacrosse season in the spring. She’s also a Spartan Ambassador in her sparse free time. She’s constantly in motion.
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Kane, who attended St. Joseph Regional School in Somers Point. “Sports is everything to me so I don’t know what I would do without it.”
Conaghy isn’t sure what she will do without Kane next year. The head coach and former soccer standout is hoping to bring the Spartans back to the perennial power status that she enjoyed while playing in high school. Those Spartan teams made several deep playoff runs and won a South Jersey Non-Public B championship during Conaghy’s senior year.
She said Kane helped make her transition to coaching a lot smoother over the last three years.
“It makes my life a lot easier with her setting the example,” Conaghy said. “I think that’s the best type of leader. Not telling people what to do, but showing them through your actions. You can count on Megan to uplift people but also lead by example.”
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