If Morganne Dee isn't busy, she isn't productive.
So what keeps the Arcadia student-athlete busy? Try playing three collegiate sports — field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse — while maintaining a near-perfect GPA, working a 20-hour-a-week internship and balancing friendships with over 85 teammates.
The Lancaster, New York, native had a childhood filled with competitive dance, softball, soccer, swimming and, eventually, the three sports that would define her college career.
Her mother, Erin, played club rugby, and her father, David, played and coached collegiate hockey. For Morganne and her brothers, Brendan and Cooper, sports were encouraged.
"We always taught her we really didn't care what accolades she got or how well she did. It was whether she worked as hard as she could and had fun with it," David said. "She kind of took that and ran with it."
By the time she finished high school, Dee said she was not ready to give up any of her three favorite sports. She could at least try to play all three, right?
She narrowed her path to the Division III level, so when the ice hockey coach at Arcadia reached out, Dee contacted the field hockey and lacrosse coaches, too. All three eagerly welcomed her.
Reflecting back, Dee knows she chose the right school for her. "Coaches, teammates, all three sports, it all ended up being perfect. It sounds like too much, but it really was the best fit for me." Dee began each school year with field hockey, which led into ice hockey season, finishing the year with lacrosse. Though she missed preseason practices and the first few games of ice hockey and lacrosse, her ability to shift from sport to sport elevated her game.
"My field hockey coaches would say I didn't play like a typical field hockey player. I play like an ice hockey player, which has its advantages because you can see the field better, you can make smarter decisions because you always have to have your head up."
Kelsey Koelzer, Arcadia's women's ice hockey coach, agreed.
"You would think switching from sport to sport would require an adjustment period, but for Morganne, her endurance and speed that she built during her other two seasons allowed her to hit the ice and step right into the lineup."
Dee is pictured with her coaches at the 2024 Arcadia athletics award ceremony, where Dee earned Athlete of the Year and Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year honors.
Dee said playing three sports gave her a mental edge to adapt, manage pressure and stay focused in high-pressure situations. "It made me a better-rounded player and person," she said. "You're constantly learning, adjusting and growing."
But playing three college sports didn't come without challenges.
"I went in headstrong and thought I was invincible," Dee admitted. "But it got to me. I realized I couldn't push through everything and expect it to be OK."
One day, Arcadia's head athletic trainer, Danielle Duffy, noticed something was off.
Field hockey was in full swing, ice hockey had started and lacrosse was in its fall ball season. While only participating in field hockey, Duffy said Dee felt like she needed to be present at multiple events per day to show her commitment to each program.
"In my head, all I could envision was a Gumby toy being stretched, fully and in so many different directions," Duffy said.
She remembers pulling Dee into her office, reminding her that her door and ears were always open. When Dee opened up about her struggles, Duffy put things into perspective.
"In that talk, and many after, I told her that nobody — to my knowledge — was doing what she was doing in playing three sports and at such a high level in each. I reminded her that if it was easy, more folks would do it," Duffy said. "She's a beast and just because she carries it well does not mean it's not all heavy as heck."
For Dee, that conversation changed everything.
"It transformed me as a person, but also in my game, not thinking you can do everything on your own. I learned to lean on my support system."
Dee also built her support system within the unique cultures on each of her teams. Field hockey was her "girls' girls" team — nail appointments, board game nights and pasta cook-offs. Lacrosse was the karaoke team, belting out songs even on two- to three-hour bus rides. Ice hockey, where she was part of Arcadia's inaugural class, felt like a sisterhood, with the team often sitting and talking for hours.
"Each team had its own vibe, and I loved that," Dee said.
For Dee, the combination of three sports, rigorous academics and strong friendships proved to be a winning combo. By the end of her senior year, she had earned multiple All-Middle Atlantic Conference first-team and Offensive Player of the Year honors in both field hockey and ice hockey, while maintaining a starting position and scoring 142 career goals on her lacrosse team. Her 3.92 GPA in business administration led her to earn the 2024 MAC Field Hockey Senior Scholar-Athlete award.
For Koelzer, Dee is the measuring stick for what a Division III student-athlete can accomplish.
"She is one of the most elite athletes I've worked with, all while maintaining one of the highest GPAs on our team," the ice hockey coach said. "Every single coach couldn't wait to get her back for the portion of their season that she was eligible to play."
To anyone considering playing three sports in college, Dee would encourage giving it a try.
"Don't give it up. It's hard, but it's worth it. You'll be a better player, and person, for it."
