ORONO — Not many Midcoast soccer players have the opportunity to be a state champion playing at the Division I level, the NCAA’s highest level of athletics. 

But for Camden Hills graduate Charlotte Messer, that is the exactly her life right now as a soccer player for the University of Maine in Orono. 

Messer, who enjoys spending the “limited free time that I have with friends and family,” likes to take advantage of the beautiful sights near home.

“Getting a group of friends together for a hike up Mt. Battie or going for a boat ride on Megunticook Lake are some of my favorite things to do,” Messer said.

So what was it that attracted the Camden native to Orono? 

“I was drawn to UMaine because of the high level and because of the intensity that the program has,” said Messer. “The coaching staff had told me that in coming to UMaine I would have the opportunity to impact soccer in this state for the better and that was very appealing to me.”

In 10 games, including one game in which she started, Messer collected one assist (against Marist), six shots (four against Long Island-Brooklyn, two against Hartford) and three shots on goal (two against Long Island-Brooklyn, one against Hartford). 

As a freshman, Messer saw 355 minutes of action in those 10 games, with 73 of those minutes coming in the season opener, her lone start, against Long Island-Brooklyn. 

The college freshman, who is currently still exploring her options for a major while striving “to put my best efforts forth on every [academic] assignment,” looks forward to traveling, especially to the Vatican City in Rome, and continuing to be involved in sports in the future. 

Asked for advice to other Midcoast student-athletes looking to play collegiate athletics, Messer said, “the most important quality that you can bring to or develop in college athletics is mental toughness.” 

“I idolize my parents,” she said. “They are both competitive, hard working, family-oriented people who have impacted my person and sports career more than anyone else. I can’t stress this enough.” 

Messer also noted how there are numerous challenges college athletes will face that they may not have encountered in high school and college student-athletes need to remember why they’re passionate about the game they play as they take on a new level since “it’s easy to forget why you love [your sport] so much as [the sport] gets more intense.” 

And as for how Messer became a soccer player? 

“I’m lucky to have had two parents who have been so involved in my athletic career,” Messer said. “They ultimately got me into sports and inspired me to stick with each one. My parents have both been my coaches for as long as I can remember so I owe a lot to them when I think about how I became an athlete. When I was young I simply couldn't get enough of sports. I realized pretty early on that soccer is my passion. I am still a soccer player today because it genuinely makes me as happy as it did when I was a little girl on the sideline of my mother’s games.”

The 2016 Class A state champion noted that winning the state crown “is considerably my greatest accomplishment,” she said.

That accomplishment is one of a few special memories for the college student-athlete who has the goal to always win on the field since, she said, she hates losing. 

Another great memory she cherishes is “playing in the [semifinal] basketball game at the Cross Insurance Center my sophomore year” because “there’s nothing like playing on that floor during tourney time, and looking up to see your whole town.” 

Messer said community support means much to her; she especially enjoyed baccalaureate, when “the whole town stood on the sidewalks [downtown] to watch our class march through the streets in our cap and gowns.” 

And while Messer is a state champion soccer player, she will be striving to guide the Black Bears to the playoffs in the three years she has remaining in Orono. (Maine went 5-10-1 this season and missed both the conference and national playoff tournaments.) 

Like her favorite quote, from Mia Hamm, reads: “Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don't settle for them.”

Reach George Harvey and the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.