Portland seniors Josh Irving, left, Lauren McIntyre and Chessa Hoekstra sign their National Letters of Intent at a press conference April 14 at Portland High School’s Alumni Hall.

Irving committed to attend at play soccer at Thomas College in Waterville. Irving played four-years for the Bulldogs and plans to study sports management.

“It’s been my dream to play in college,” Irving said. “(The Thomas) coach came to one of my games. I hadn’t considered them before. I visited and liked the family feel on campus and the small classes. The coaches are awesome.”

McIntyre, Portland’s Winter Female Athlete of the Year for her ice hockey prowess, committed to attend and play field hockey at Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. McIntyre is one of the finest field hockey players the Bulldogs have produced in recent seasons. She plans to study athletic training in college.

“I was considering both Merrimack and Franklin Pierce, but I really liked the (Merrimack) campus,” McIntyre said. “It’s small, but not too small. I love the team. It’s a great fit for me.”

Hoekstra committed to attend and play soccer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was named Portland’s Fall Female Athlete of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to the playoffs. Hoekstra plans to major in mathematics.

“I started looking at MIT my junior year,” said Hoekstra, who is also Portland’s valedictorian. “It ended up being the best choice for me for soccer and academics.”

At the signing, Irving, McIntyre and Hoekstra were joined by family members, field hockey coach Beth Arsenault, girls’ soccer coach Arthur Mosen, boys’ soccer coach Rocco Frenzilli and PHS athletic director Rob O’Leary.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.