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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Ferris, Shadow standout Maegan O’Neill headed to Washington State

Ferris defender Maegan O'Neill hopes to play center-midfielder at Washington State next season. (Jesse Tinsley)

She’s strong in the air, but Maegan O’Neill’s soccer success has come largely because she’s well-grounded.

“Every day, Megan wants to be better,” said Kevin Moon, a coach with SSC Shadow who has worked with O’Neill since she was 11 years old.

“She has an incredible work ethic,” Moon said.

And she has a chance to show it at the next level: O’Neill, a senior defender at Ferris, verbally committed last year to play at Washington State.

Raised in a family of WSU alums, O’Neill has been on the Cougars’ radar through three coaching regimes, including new coach Steve Nugent.

“It’s a great program, and they make you feel very welcome,” said O’Neill, who could be the only Spokane-area player on the Cougar roster. That’s been a rarity of late for the Cougars, whose recruiting base has extended far beyond the Inland Northwest.

The 5-foot-9 O’Neill is a key player at Ferris – she was a first-team all Greater Spokane League selection last year – but has made her biggest impact at the club level.

Moon has watched her mature, on and off the field, since he coached her Shadow U12 team; they’re back together now at the U-18 level.

Moon likes her technique, the fact that she rarely makes a mistake, but mostly “her fantastic ability to organize, communicating and making sure that the team won’t be countered or broken down.

“And she comes up with some pretty big moments – when we’ve need a goal, she comes in off a corner or a cross. She’s also a great header and a great ball-winner,” Moon said.

O’Neill is also a winner in the classroom, with a grade-point average above 3.7.

Success built on success; a U-16 trip to Hawaii “was a huge learning experience or me, playing unfamiliar teams from other states,” O’Neill said. A year later, as a U-17 player, O’Neill was the only Eastern Washington player chosen to try out for the national team during tryouts in Florida.

She’s already looking forward to the challenge of Division I soccer.

“The competition will be extremely high, but a great learning experience,” said O’Neill, who hopes to play center-midfielder for the Cougars.