ORONO, Maine -- Growing up on a farm in Watford, Ontario, Meagan Aarts learned the value of hard work. She was comfortable living in a loving, supportive home with her parents, John and Joan, and two older brothers, Steve and Colin.

 

The community also featured a strong hockey tradition, one that Aarts embraced during her youth. She caught the eye of Division I coaches, including Rick Filighera.

 

"I liked her body language when she played," he said. "She was never too high, never too low, just real consistent."

 

Never could Aarts have imagined that she would discover a place, more than 750 miles away, that would provide some of the same comforts of home.

 

On her first visit to Orono, Aarts quickly sensed that the University of Maine would be the perfect place to pursue her hockey dreams and an education.

 

"As soon as I went to Maine, I knew I wanted to go there," said Aarts, who had already visited the likes of Ohio State. "It kind of reminded me of home and Rick [Filighera] was great, he was a big part of me going there."

 

She quickly canceled scheduled recruiting visits to Cornell and Brown and committed to UMaine.

 

The decision would prove a fortuitous one for Aarts and the Black Bears. From 2000-04, the versatile and intense left winger racked up 115 career points, which for 16 seasons stood as the most in UMaine history.

 

Aarts helped the Black Bears make two appearances in the Hockey East semifinals (2003, 2004) and capped her college career by earning all-conference, first-team recognition.

 

Filighera said Aarts played with tremendous grit and determination, refusing to back down against opponents.

 

"Back then, you had girls that played hockey and you had hockey players," he said. "She was a hockey player and she did not like to lose."

 

Aarts, who was 17 when she arrived in Orono, admitted that there was a transition period as she adjusted to balancing all the responsibilities of being a Division I student-athlete.

 

"The hockey obviously was maybe the easy, comfortable part for me," Aarts said.

 

"The school itself wasn't the hard part, it was figuring out how to do it all," she added.

 

The kinesiology major was able to learn the necessary time management skills to succeed on the ice and in the classroom.

 

Aarts was a prolific goal scorer, notching 61 in her career, but also excelled as a playmaker, piling up 54 assists. More than 20 years after graduating, she ranks fourth at UMaine in both categories and is tied for third in career points.

 

She enjoyed one of the most productive seasons ever for a Black Bear during 2001-02 and is No. 2 all time after piling up 47 points. Aarts ranks tied for third in single-season goals (25) and assists (21).

 

"When she got to Maine I knew she was going to be good, I felt that, but she was even better than I anticipated," Filighera said.

 

Aarts, who played on a line that included right winger and classmate Karen Droog (115 career points), exhibited an unmistakable tenacity on the ice.

 

"Meagan Arts was a grinder who could score goals and produce points," Filighera said. "She didn't care what anybody thought about her on that ice."

 

It's a demeanor she came by honestly.

 

"[As] a farm kid, you don't give up, you just keep going," Aarts said. "I definitely played with a lot of drive and determination."

 

Aarts, who visited campus last fall to celebrate Class of 1984, said the UMaine experience was memorable mostly because of the people.

 

"If you have good relationships and you're happy and thriving in different aspects of your life, I'm sure that contributed to why I did well in hockey," she said.

 

There was more hockey to be played once Aarts left UMaine. She began her professional career in Switzerland, then competed in the Canadian Women's Hockey League and the National Women's Hockey League. Those entities were precursors to the current Professional Women's Hockey League.

 

Aarts played 10 seasons, tallying a career-best 20 goals and nine assists in 28 games for the Vaughan Flames during 2008-09. She also had stints with the PWHL's Bluewater Hawks and the Toronto Furies, winning the CWHL's Clarkson Cup in 2014.

 

Aarts, who works in health and safety after transitioning from careers in kinesiology and paramedicine. She and her spouse Renee have two daughters, JayJay (8) and Willow (6).

 

Now, their interest in hockey has enticed Aarts to lace up the skates again and try her hand at coaching.

 

"It's been great to get back on the ice," Aarts said. "I didn't know how I would be as a coach, because I always played, so it's been a transition for sure, but it's been a lot of fun."
--
The University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting five individuals, as well as teams from three sports, at its annual banquet on Sept. 26 at Jeff's Catering in Brewer.