Photo Courtesy: Quinnipiac Athletics
By: Matt Corso
Who would have thought Meghan Turner would end up on a rink in Hamden after growing up with parents who didn’t skate. Meghan Turner defied the odds, as High Point Solutions Arena is now her second home.
“My oldest brother James kind of got me into the game and he was the one who taught me how to skate, he was the catalyst and my biggest supporter,” Turner said.
Turner grew up playing with boys and had a coach of ten years whom she accredits much of her success to. Her mentality and toughness is evident out on the ice every time Turner skates.
“In boys hockey we started hitting around eleven or twelve and then I got a concussion, but this was good for me, for the toughness factor just to know how to take a hit,” Turner said.
With 4 goals on the year, two game-winners, Turner and the Bobcats skated to a (14-1-3, 7-1-2 ECAC) record to finish the first half of their season.
“I like to show up in moments that matter,” Turner said. “Now that I have been getting more shots on net, I need to start being hungrier around the net by putting the rebounds in.”
“Her (Turner) strength, explosiveness and speed has gotten better enabling her to shoot the puck faster,” head coach Cassandra Turner said.
As her offensive game comes to terms with her skills that she possesses and her ability to put shots on net, her defense continues to be stout.
Turner has recorded five blocked shots during the first half of the season, a true-way forward.
“It is completely essential because you have to play defense because if you don’t play good defense, no matter how many goals you score, people are still going to score goals on you. It’s a defense first mentality, but you still have to be able to attack the net,” Turner said.
Turner has improved tremendously since her freshman year at Quinnipiac.
Before Quinnipiac, Turner was a three sport athlete at Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire. She played ice hockey, lacrosse and ran cross-country, an all-state athlete in ice hockey and cross-country.
Cassandra Turner obviously saw something from Turner who won back-to-back United States Tier 1 Girls National Championships in 2012 and 2013 with the Assabet Valley U-19 team.
“Meghan wants to make other people better. We watched her play with Assabet Valley, which is a really strong program in New England and she played on two lines. She played on a line where the players were more talented than Meghan and then we watched her play on a line where she was a little better than the other players,” Cassandra Turner said.
Similar to her years at Assabet, Turner has seen time on both the second and third lines most of the season.
“My role on the team and with my line is to play good defense and play good offense, so just be a well rounded line by not letting pucks in the net, as well as putting some pucks in the opponents net and getting gritty around the net,“ Turner said.
Since putting more work in at the gym, Meghan has been able to see an increase in her playing ability. But, she still wants to be able to play harder on the boards and see some more bounces go her way around the crease.
“I think I know my role. I’m not a T.T., T.T. is a goal scorer, she knows how to put the puck on the net. I’ve never been a natural goal scorer, but this year I am trying to be more of one,” Turner said.
Cassandra Turner spoke highly of Turner’s versatility and her ability to do many things for the Bobcats. The forward gives much of her credit to her coaches throughout the years, especially the coaching staff at Quinnipiac.
“Meghan listens, takes into account what we are trying to accomplish as a team. She is in our top three of focusing on and executing our game keys each game,” Cassandra Turner said.
As for Meghan, she grew up watching hockey. Her dad always told her to watch former Bobcat star, Kelly Babstock, and her style of play. Babstock had great hands and was gritty around the net.
Sounds a lot like Turner’s style of play.
