Trumansburg ‘06 alum Mike Meskill inducted into Keuka Hall of Fame

Another local soccer standout has received a tremendous honor in-state.

On September 23, Trumansburg native Mike Meskill was one of four people inducted into the Keuka College Athletics Hall of Fame. This comes two weeks after Ithaca’s Megan McKeown was inducted into the New York State Girls Soccer Hall of Fame.

Meskill, who played for the Wolves from 2006 to 2009, will go down as arguably the best goalkeeper in program history. He is currently the all-time leader in wins (37) and shutouts (23) while having the second-most saves (305) and second-lowest goals against average (1.02). Despite these records, the phone call from Keuka’s head athletic trainer Jeff Bray informing Meskill of his recognition came as a complete surprise.

“I was just taken aback,” Meskill said. “I didn’t really know what to say. It’s something I thought of, but it didn’t really cross my mind. I cherish those years and still look back at them and think they’re the best four years of my life. I’m just grateful that I had the opportunity to meet some of my best friends and keep ties with them. This is kind of like the cherry on top, if you will.”

Meskill applied to Keuka on a whim. Despite being recruited by Canisius College, Meskill prioritized getting playing time over joining a Division I program.

“The whole thing with me was I wanted to get to a place where I could play,” Meskill said. “I didn’t want to spend four years on the bench. I didn’t want to really spend three years on the bench then just play my senior year. I wanted to keep playing… I’m kind of a small town guy and the small-town atmosphere of Keuka fit me. I met up with the coach [Matt Tantaro] and the rest is history.”

Meskill was part of Keuka’s remarkable 2007 season, which remains to this day as their best campaign in program history. The Wolves won the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) title and advanced to their first (and so far only) NCAA Tournament appearance. Meskill made a key penalty kick save in the semifinals against Penn State-Berks. In the final against Philadelphia Biblical—now known as Cairn—Meskill admits they were severe underdogs, but they were able to get the job done mainly through their unmatched cohesiveness.

“It was pretty special,” Meskill said. “We had a really good bond. We weren’t the best team ever, but we just bonded. Our team chemistry was so good that we ended up winning games that we probably shouldn’t have.”

Goalkeeping is often a thankless task that entails soaring highs and cavernous lows. Meskill talked about the importance of staying mentally strong that is needed to excel at the position.

“You have to be able to take your lumps because at the end of the day, when the ball goes in, everyone looks at you as if to say, ‘Why didn’t you stop it?’” Meskill said. “Watching that ball go in, you basically failed your job. You have to be mentally tough. In grade school years, I know Coach [Chris] Bond was really tough on me about just letting it go once I let the ball in the goal. I wasn’t very mentally tough in my high school years and I would let those things dwell on me and I would get frustrated. It would cost us another goal because I was still worried about the first goal that went in. Through Coach Bond and then just growing up and maturing as a young adult, those things started to come easier.”

While Meskill didn’t win any IAC or sectional championships with the Blue Raiders, he still learned a lot under Bond that he carried over to his outstanding career at Keuka, in particular the team aspect of soccer.

“Coach Bond was big on being a family and sticking up for one another both on and off the field,” Meskill said. “I think it speaks to what happened at Keuka just as it happened at Trumansburg. We had a good team bond both my junior and senior years, and although we weren’t as successful with awards and titles and such, we had a really good bond and that was probably because of Coach Bond. That instilled me to have the same type of atmosphere in the college arena, too.”

Meskill shares a unique connection with Bond, who was the Blue Raiders’ head coach from 1977 to 2005. Meskill’s grandfather hired Bond as a teacher when no one else was giving him a chance, and the rest was history. Bond became the face of Trumansburg soccer and helped develop many outstanding players like Meskill.

“I can’t say enough about the guy,” Meskill said. “When I was just a kid back in high school, you didn’t really realize how important certain people were to you in your life, and he’s one that I wish I could have spent more time with… I wish he was still here today.”