Soccer remains a passion that provides opportunities for WHS grad Thornton

By Matt Pascarella

Windham High School graduate Abbey Thornton truly loves the game of soccer and has continued to excel on the pitch at the University of Maine in Orono while earning her degree in nursing. Now a junior in college, Thornton is succeeding on and off the field, maintaining a 4.0 GPA her freshman year and made Dean’s List during her sophomore year.

Windham High graduate and University of Maine Orono
junior Abbey Thornton passes the ball during a conference
semifinal women's soccer game against the University of
Massachusetts Lowell on Nov 7, 2024.
PHOTO BY SETH POPLASKI 

"It is a huge adjustment from playing high school soccer to playing Division I soccer,” said Thornton. “I remember freshman year everyone felt so much bigger, stronger, and faster than myself. I was no longer playing against teenage girls, but adults. This adjustment required me to build mental toughness and belief in myself. It required me to always work hard and to earn everything.”

When she was 3 years old, her parents enrolled her in Windham Youth Soccer. Thornton grew up with an older brother and an active family and soccer has been an escape for her and has opened so many doors. She’s made lifelong friends and has traveled across the country to play.

“Windham High Soccer really taught me what soccer was all about,” said Thornton. “On long days, after school, when I was stressed and had a million little things to be doing, I was able to put that on hold. Instead, I got to kick around a ball with some of my best friends, do something I love and have fun. Soccer really is an escape for me and a place I can focus my energy.”

In her two seasons so far at UMaine, Thornton helped the Black Bears to win its first America's East Conference Championship in 2023 and then repeat that title in 2024.

For Thornton, this felt like a movie. She said the team had set out to win the Conference Championship in 2023 and followed through. The 2023 game was a nailbiter that went into overtime. That win made the long days and early mornings worth it. The team set out to be back-to-back champions in 2024 and accomplished that goal, too.

“(Abbey’s) constant commitment to give it her all pushes the people around her to match her energy and go one step further,” said UMO junior teammate Grace Johnson. “Vocally Abbey is constantly providing positive reinforcements to her sounding teammates who are on and off the pitch because Abbey’s support is not dependent on minutes but solely stems from her true compassion for others. Abbey is the teammate who is always reaching out to all the first years after their first game, and the teammate who shows up every day ready to contribute as a player, as a teammate, but most importantly as a friend. You can see the joy radiating off her, that exact energy is something that can’t be taught but a true gift to our program.”

Her advice to athletes who may be interested in continuing to play sports after high school is that hard work beats talent; even if you’re not the most skilled on the field, you can always be the most hardworking. College sports take discipline and sacrifice but are also beyond rewarding, she says.

Being a UMaine Black Bear has allowed Thornton to build relationships that will last a lifetime.

“Abbey leads by example (and) is extremely self-disciplined; her work habits are extraordinary,” said UMO women’s soccer coach Scott Atherley. “Abbey epitomizes the true meaning of student-athlete as she excels at the highest levels academically and athletically. Integrity is a word that immediately comes to mind when I think of Abbey. She is one of our most creative and technical players. In our system, we rely on skillful players who can problem solve and make decisions under pressure. Abbey has great vision and composure. She will assume an important on-field role this season and will continue to have a massive presence in our locker room.” <