Bangor High School soccer standout Teagan Atherley figures her father, University of Maine women’s soccer head coach Scott Atherley, has been her Seacoast United club team coach for around five years.
And he will be coaching her for four more years at a higher level beginning in the fall of 2025 as she has verbally committed to play for him at UMaine.
She will be coming in as a non-scholarship player but dependent children of full-time University of Maine System employees are eligible for a 50 percent tuition waiver if they are full-time students. Teagan’s mother and Scott’s wife, Lynn, is also employed by the university as an academic advisor and student success instructor.
Her coming to UMaine will be dependent upon her being accepted into the school and meeting NCAA eligibility requirements.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision. Growing up, I’ve seen all the girls who have gone through his program and how great they’ve become. It’s so inspirational that I wanted to be a part of it,” said Teagan, who is an attacking midfielder for the Rams and will be a senior captain this fall after serving as a junior captain last season.
Atherley was a Maine Soccer Coaches Association Class A North Regional all-star a year ago.
She was the Rams’ leading scorer in 2023 with 23 goals and 10 assists. She guided the Rams to their first Class A North championship and state title game appearance since 2015.
She scored the game-winning goal in the second half of the Rams’ 2-1 win over Brewer in their Class A North quarterfinal and had both goals in the 2-1 victory over Camden Hills of Rockport in the A North title game.
Scarborough blanked Bangor 2-0 in the state final.
The Rams finished at 16-2.
Atherley has had the chance to spend time with her future UMaine teammates this summer while working at her father’s summer soccer camps in Orono.
“They have great energy. They’re amazing. I couldn’t be more excited,” said the 17-year-old Atherley.
She considers her dad an exceptional coach and said it will be a privilege to keep playing for him.
Scott Atherley can’t comment on his daughter due to NCAA guidelines pertaining to verbal commitments but Bangor High coach Jay Kemble said the Black Bears are getting a quality player.
“She is extremely knowledgeable in terms of the game. She is one of those young women who has great field vision. She sees everything,” said Kemble. “She can play at an extremely fast pace because of her speed and instincts. She can shoot it, dribbble it, pass it and secure it and she uses her body to shield the defender from the ball.”
Atherley stands 5-foot-6 and is slender but Kemble said she is “wiry strong” and getting stronger.
“She’s a physical player. She doesn’t back down from anybody,” said Kemble. “She got banged up a few times last year but she plays through bumps and bruises. She has that grit and toughness.”
Atherley works out regularly in addition to playing summer soccer for her high school team.
She knows the speed of the game is much faster at the college level and it is much more physical.
“I have started making goals for myself. I want to get stronger, I want to be more physical and technical and keep improving my speed,” said Atherley.
