Sophomore midfielder Megan Goo started playing soccer at 5 years old.
“I just remember being really little,” she said. “One of my coaches’ daughters was teaching us moves and footwork stuff. I remember it being so hard and then growing up and thinking like, ‘I got that.’”
Megan and her brother Nick grew up playing soccer in their front yard in Kaneohe, Hawaii.
“We still do that, even though he’s graduated,” she said.
Megan said Nick’s critiques have helped her improve her game.
“He would always give me pointers and come to my games,” she said.
In high school, Megan planned on majoring in exercise science. Now, she’s contemplating a business degree.
“I’m not sure exactly where it’s going to take me,” she said. “I just figured it’s pretty practical and it can branch out to a lot of things. My interest for business was just greater. (Exercise science) became less of an interest for me.”
Megan enjoys spending her free time outdoors.
“I like just going on adventures and finding things to do,” she said. “I love just going to the beach especially with my dad. He’d take me Boogie boarding and it was just so much fun.”
This year, Megan currently lives with several other teammates. Spending most of their time together, Megan said they are all very close.
“We all get together and just chill,” Megan said. “I just like to lay in bed and watch TV (after a stressful game).”
As a freshman, Megan started three games and made appearances in 21. She made her first collegiate assist against Indiana State Aug. 21, 2015. Her first goal came during the Vandals’ 3-2 win against Montana in the Big Sky Tournament semifinal Nov. 6. She attempted 14 shots during the season.
“Scoring your first collegiate goal, it’s something very memorable,” Megan said. “At the time I was just like, ‘Woah, did that actually happen?’ But I think it’s an amazing feeling.”
In high school, Megan played for the Lolani School and led the team to back-to-back Leahi Women’s Championships in 2013 and 2014. Goo earned Hawaii Interscholastic League First Team honors in 2013 and second team in 2012.
Nick played collegiate soccer for Northeastern. Megan watched him go through the recruiting process, which led her to pursue soccer as well.
“Seeing him getting a lot of success from that I figured maybe I could do the same,” she said. “He definitely had a really huge influence on the college process. The one pointer he had for me was to make sure I liked my coaches a lot.”
Megan met Idaho head coach Derek Pittman at a soccer camp, just a few months before Pittman received the job at Idaho.
“There was a few people I had on my list of players to immediately go after and Megan was one of those,” he said. “I upped my interest when I got here to Idaho because I thought she would be a tremendous addition to our roster because she just brings so much creativity.”
Pittman described Megan as a dangerous player during the attack.
“I think as a freshman coming in last year she struggled a little with the physicality of the game,” he said. “Often in the position she plays for us she gets matched up against a bigger, stronger athlete. It took her a little while to learn how to use her quickness and her awareness of space to her benefit.”
Tess Fox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tesstakesphotos