Written during the 2017 Carolina Sports Journalism Camp @ UNC-Chapel Hill
By Christian Clark
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For Megan Buckingham, it is apparent that her two loves shine brightly: her love for the game and her love for cupcakes.
"I've thought about opening up a bake shop (with cupcakes)," smiled Buckingham.
Recalling her first career goal, a game winner against Ohio State, it is apparent to see that the love of the game is present too.
"I couldn't believe I scored," said Buckingham. "It gave me a taste of the cake."
While Buckingham began her career by serving up defenders, it hasn't always been a "baker's dozen" for the young midfielder.
As do the majority of young athletes, Buckingham has encountered both physical and mental challenges during her first three years on her soccer club. A broken collarbone in Buckingham's sophomore stint forced her to the sidelines during the club's first four preseason games.
"Watching your team on the sidelines is probably the worst time," said Buckingham. "You're sitting there, watching your team work hard and I'm just sitting and watching; it was mentally challenging for me."
Despite not being able to work with the team, Buckingham's "competitive fire" helped place herself on her teammates radar. "[She] leads by example," said teammate Julia Ashley. "She's always the first one to everything." It is easy to see Buckingham's passion for the game through her mindset day in and day out.
"If you get comfortable, you become complacent," said Buckingham.
As UNC tries to improve on the pitch in Buckingham's final season, her impact on the team will not be left behind. When the world told Buckingham to play the "woe is me" card, "living in the moment" is what propelled her out of a deep abyss.
In addition to her injury, however, another on the field experience overseas put the game back into perspective.
"We got absolutely demolished [against Japan]," said Buckingham. "Coming back to college, it was humbling to see players around the world and see how much better they are; it's a standard I need to reach."
Buckingham certainly took to heart the experience and is doing everything she can to instill winning culture back to North Carolina.
She has stepped up in leadership," said Ashley. "We didn't have a star standout player at first but she [Buckingham] (came) through."
Although Buckingham's senior season is on the horizon, it has been apparent that the future is developing in the recesses of her mind. "These next six months will be a rollercoaster of emotions," said Buckingham. However, she won't let that deter her from her ultimate goal.
"My biggest dream is to win the ACC Tournament and then the National Championship," said Buckingham. Her teammates agree with her notion. "She wants to win, wants to get it done," said Ashley.
2012 was the last time that the North Carolina women's soccer team had taken home the ultimate prize. Since Megan's arrival, UNC has failed to reach the pinnacle. With the university's rich history of winning, she refuses to place the championship drought solely on the program.
"We put the pressure on ourselves," said Buckingham. "As individual players, we look back on the history and say 'we need to meet those standards'."
There are two paths to every dream. There is success and there is failure. Looking through the eyes of Megan Buckingham, her time at UNC has illustrated the peaks and valleys of a blossoming career. Inspired by Mia Hamm, her career has her on cloud nine.
"Her [Mia] name starts with 'M' and my name starts with 'M' so it has to be," giggled Buckingham.
Buckingham has always dreamed of playing in the big show. Hamm has certainly accomplished success at the highest level so could her admirer be next?
Keeping a dream journal, Buckingham is keeping quiet on the details. While very few know what's inside, the blank pages contain a blank canvas and a chance for one final story. Could Buckingham's final page be the final piece to a championship run?
As Julia Ashley stated best, "If you want to win games, she'll make it happen."
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