First came the enjoyment of playing the game, then the thrill of winning and once it all came together for Megan Conroy it came down to working hard to become the best in hopes of realizing a dream. “Once I got to middle school I knew I really wanted to play at a higher level,’’ said Conroy. “Then when I got the chance to play with older girls and compete with school, club and rec that’s when I realty started to love it.’’ Love and hard work have paid off for the Allentown junior goalkeeper as recently she gave a verbal commitment to play her college lacrosse at the University of Notre Dame. “I’ve never been more excited in my life and it has been overwhelming,’’ said Conroy of heading to ND in 2026. “I went out for a visit and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I was there with other recruits and we got to meet the coaches and training staff. We also were on the sidelines for a football practice. It’s an awesome place.’’ Through her first two seasons with the Redbirds, Conroy has been awesome in the cage, recording 344 career saves and playing a major role in the team reaching the South Jersey and Mercer County Tournament finals the last two seasons. Allentown has a 41-8 record in her two seasons in goal. “I’ve coached Megan on the middle school team and was fortunate to move up with her to the high school,’’ said Allentown coach Justin Schmid. “From her very early days you could see she was special. She never settled on that talent and praise, she continues this day to work and it has paid off.’’ The commitment only serves to ramp up her motivation for the upcoming season. “My motivation was to commit to a school I’d be happy playing at,’’ said Conroy.  “Now that my decision is finalized the motivation is to work towards being able to succeed once I get there. This year I want to step into more of a leadership role and I’m so excited for this high school season. We have a pretty strong team coming back and some new players coming as well.’’ The process wasn’t always easy from visit to the decision to the commitment. Conroy has always brought a calm demeanor to the position and playing the game can be so much easier than navigating the recruiting process. “It was a stressful 29 days,’’ said Conroy. “One of my goals when I was going through the process was to look for a school that would challenge me academically as well as athletically. The academics at ND are so highly regarded and they have an amazing team. Like Allentown, there’s such a winning tradition and it is such a well-rounded school.’’ A fierce competitor, Conroy has always put the team first in every aspect and she works tireless to become a better player. “I really only feel satisfaction when we win,’’ declared Conroy. “My team winning is so much more important than me having a good game myself. Hopefully, I would have contributed for that win. We are always happy for each other.’’ It all started for Conroy in the second grade when her brother was playing and her dad was coaching. “My family was into it and I figured I’d give it a try,” said Conroy. “Once I did I never turned back and in a short amount of time it became my main sport.”