It takes a certain sort of fearlessness to be an effective hockey player.

There’s just no room for timidity when you’re chasing a puck in a corner, hunting it down in a tangle of bodies and sticks. You can’t hesitate when you’re checking an opponent against the boards.

The center on the Old Town High School hockey team knows that very well. And that senior captain – Meghan King – has established herself as one of eastern Maine’s most fearless players.

That she’s a girl playing with and against boys underscores the courage of an athlete who has battled her way back onto the ice after missing last season with an ACL tear in her knee.

“I love the competitiveness of hockey – the playing with the boys,” King said. “It’s a lot more competitive than when you play with girls.”

At just 5 feet 4 inches and 140 pounds, she makes up for her small stature with skills, leadership, aggressiveness and a knack for reading situations on the ice.

Coach Lance Cote said King’s contributions – including two goals and three assists so far this year – can’t necessarily be measured solely by statistics.

“The guys use her as an example. They look at her and say, ‘Look what Meghan’s doing. She’s out there throwing her body around. … If she can play physical without fear of getting hit or hurt, why can’t we do that?’ The guys look up to her in that role,” Cote said.

Getting back in the rink

King tore her anterior cruciate ligament while playing soccer for the Indians more than a year ago. That meant six months of grueling physical therapy – and no ice hockey.

That was quite a blow for a player who had participated that summer at the U.S. national team training camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., a honor reserved for the top 40 age- group players in the country.

King had come up through the ranks of the Old Town Youth Hockey program, watching her older brother play high school hockey for the Indians.

“The first six months, I had physical therapy three times per week. It was supposed to be nine months, but I wanted to get back to play hockey,” King said.

King’s hard work at rehabilitation paid off, as she recovered in time to take up her position as catcher on the Old Town softball team.

King was also back as a striker on the soccer field this past fall. She was named to the Penobscot Valley Conference all-star team in both sports.

“I regained strength through playing softball, though it was pretty rigorous to make it back.

“When I came back for soccer I wasn’t quite myself, but as each game went on I got more confidence in my leg and became a normal player again,” King said.

King hasn’t let the injury slow her down now that she’s back in the rink.

“I lost my knee brace while water skiing [this summer], and I haven’t gotten a new one,” King said.

And King has remained a dedicated student, making highest honors during the last academic quarter.

“All my time is devoted to sports and trying to do homework,” King said.

Leading the Indians

First-year coach Cote said King’s leadership smoothed the team’s transition to a new coach and has helped sustain the Indians through what has been a 2-8 season so far. “Right from practice one she showed she had leadership qualities,” he said. “She was real vocal the first few weeks, getting everyone in line and doing the drills the way they were supposed to be done.”

Sophomore defenseman Mike Perkins said her positive attitude is infectious.

“Even if we’re losing, each period she pumps us up and tells us to keep it going, to keep up the good work,” Perkins said.

Her coaches and teammates also value the skills she brings on the ice.

“She’s one of the best skaters on the team, she has become a very good defensive player,” Cote said, “and she has taken a strong role in penalty killing,” Cote said.

Cote noted that King has stepped up her offense of late, scoring the go-ahead goal in Old Town’s recent win over Messalonskee and helping to set up the younger players on her line.

Junior defenseman Dave Marley said he has benefited from playing with King.

“She gives our team puck control and good passing. She steps up when we need a goal, she doesn’t take bad penalties, and she never has a bad attitude on the ice,” Marley said.

Skating on to new challenges

King has attended the U.S. national team training camp for two years, and she has been recruited by a number of women’s college hockey teams.

The weeklong training camp gave King the opportunity to be observed by coaches and to test herself against the nation’s best.

“You realize how many more talented players there are out there, and you gain a lot of experience,” King said.

Right now, King said, her top choice for college is the University of New Hampshire. The school is ranked 10th in the latest USA Today women’s ice hockey poll.

King said that before she injured her knee, she harbored hopes of making a U.S. national team. While she has not given up entirely on that goal, she realizes her future in hockey may be limited by her injury.

“Since it’s only my first year back, I’m not sure how the knee will hold up,” King said.

And while she relishes playing at the college level, there are some things about playing with the boys that she will miss.

“You’re not supposed to check in women’s hockey,” King said, “and I prefer to check.”