Morgan Deveau '24 Recruiting Profile

Hi, I'm Morgan Deveau, I attend Casco Bay High School but play varsity soccer with Portland High School. I am a junior. 

My latest high school season was one of the best I’ve had. After years of losing the first playoff game, we finally advanced only to then be knocked out in the second round by the eventual state champions. That game really brought out who we were as a team. We celebrated how much we had grown since the first time we played them in the beginning of the season. The connection I grew with my team this year brought out a leadership role in me. I always made sure my teammates understood what was going on and tried my best to guide them with anything on and off the field if they wanted.

Through challenges on and off the field, playing a good game and especially having a good connection with my teammates is like a reward. Being able to play competitively while having fun is freeing. It makes me feel good about myself, and happy that I got to where I am throughout the years. I’ve been playing soccer since I was 5. After doing programs that just ran in the fall, I begged my parents to let me do a foot skills program during the winter, and that was when I was recruited to Seacoast United Soccer Club of Maine on a premier team. I look forward to the thrill of competing, being a part of a team and growing as a player for the benefit of the team, and myself.

As far as what I want to study in college, I am undecided, but my interests lie in STEM; physics, astronomy & astrophysics, mathematics, environmental studies, marine biology, and the like.

Below is a letter of recommendation from my varsity High School soccer coach, Matt Bernstein:

Morgan Deveau

Written on November 14, 2022 by Matt Bernstein, Portland High School Girls Soccer Coach

Morgan Deveau is a skilled and intelligent defender. Capable of playing anywhere across a backline, for us, she plays center back where she organizes our defense and makes crucial interventions, interceptions, blocks, and tackles. Morgan is a strong tackler who wins the ball without giving away fouls. Like all great defenders, Morgan has a knack for being in the right place at the right time due to her excellent ability to read the game. I’ve lost count of the number of times Morgan has made a goal saving interception, headed away a dangerous cross, or tracked a runner to prevent an easy goal. She is a well rounded player who greatly enhances our defense.

Morgan’s physical attributes are also fantastic. She is extremely fit, often playing every minute of a game, she has the pace to keep up with attacking players, and the strength and athleticism to win and keep the ball. Morgan is also an extremely smart defender who knows when to commit to winning the ball and when to slow down counter attacks through guiding a player away from dangerous areas. She uses her body well, both in terms of her physicality in tackles and also in shaping her body to block attacking players from space. She is also impressively brave, never afraid to challenge even when she knows it will mean that she takes a hit.

Morgan also communicates effectively to keep our back four in line, to identify and extinguish potential threats, and to support the attacking phase of play. Morgan is also an important player in the attacking phase itself because she does not simply boot the ball whenever it comes to her. Rather, she is adept at playing the ball and is comfortable controlling the ball with quality first touch and then passing so as to retain possession. Returning to her high soccer IQ, she knows when to clear the ball to relieve pressure and allow our team to recover shape and when the opportunity is there to control the ball to spark our attack. I’ve been so impressed at Morgan’s ability to make the correct decision time and time again and to then execute that decision with precision and technical ability. For her outstanding play throughout the season, she was deservedly recognized as a member of the 2022 SMAA All-Conference Honorable Mention team.

As impressive as Morgan is as an on-field player, she may be even more outstanding off the field. Morgan is hardworking, coachable, positive, enthusiastic, and supportive. She relishes coaching points, encourages teammates at all times, and is a leader through both her words and actions. Her work ethic is phenomenal and serves as a model for others on our team. Morgan is also humble and team oriented, never seeking attention or glory for herself, never blaming others when things are not going well, and always quick to do whatever it takes to support the team. During both practices and games, Morgan helps keep the energy levels and spirit of the team high. Even when we are losing, Morgan maintains her composure and her belief in her teammates and pushes the team to compete hard for the full match.

For all these reasons, and more, it was no surprise to me that her teammates voted Morgan as a captain for the upcoming 2023 season, an honor of which she is most deserving and for which she received the full endorsement from her coaches as well. In short, Morgan makes our team better on the field and off the field. She is a tremendous asset to our program and I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to be her coach.