SCRANTON — The ups and downs of life are a lot like sports. There are some great moments in everyone's life, but there are also moments that we would like to forget. Sagertown native Maggie Bramer's on-field career was similar.
Highlights include being named All-Region multiple times, leading the Cambridge Springs Lady Devils to the state semifinals in 2020, and being named team captain. However, after missing out on peak recruiting season as a high school senior due to the tragedy of three torn anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs), he survived the recruiting process and found a school that had a physician assistant program. Despite all of her misfortune, Marywood University, a private Catholic university in Scranton, Pennsylvania, gave her a chance.
The Pacers play in NCAA Division III and are a member of the Atlantic East Conference. Ms. Bremer also offers her five-year physician assistant program for those who wish to enroll after her first three years of work. The 3 Plus 2 program requires a letter of support and a certain grade point average to be accepted. So far, her grades have been excellent and she is well on her way to realizing her goal of working in the medical field. She learned the career of becoming a physician assistant not because of her injury, but because of her aunt Kelly Bliss, one of her role models in life.
Braymer has always excelled in the classroom. Part of her high school career was as a dual-sport athlete, and her momentum as a student-athlete excelled in the classroom despite walking around on crutches for much of her high school years. There was nothing to slow it down. Bremer graduated as the salutatorian of the Saegertown Junior High School Class of 2023, and she was also inducted into the National Honor Society.
With one semester over and another coming to a close, Braymer's grade point average is around 3.9, well above the criteria to be considered for Marywood's physician assistant program. Not only did she excel in her classroom, but she also displayed an unselfish attitude on the field. It's a humbling experience for her to suddenly go from being a three-year letterwinner to a reserve, but not as humbling as playing a new position in her college debut.
With both goalies out, Braymer came on as a goalie in the game against Swarthmore College. Despite not having played in the position since her youth, she held her own and recorded four saves in her half spent in net. It certainly wasn't the debut she expected, but when her number was called, she made the most of the opportunity. Braymer made five more appearances during her freshman campaign, and she served as a champion for the program.
Entering his second season with the Pacers, Bremer has been working to help the program finish the 2024 season in better shape. The team finished the season with 9 wins, 7 losses, and 2 draws, entering the Atlantic East Conference as the No. 1 overall seed in the postseason. The Pacers were defeated 1-0 by Marymount University in double overtime, ending the season without qualifying for the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship. It was certainly devastating for the program, but that emotion is what motivates Braymer and her teammates to experience the 2024 NCAA postseason.
The postseason is familiar territory for Bremer, who helped the Lady Devils win a District 10 title in her second season. Sagertown and Cambridge Springs have entered into a cooperative agreement to play women's soccer together, and the results certainly showed in the successful 2020 season. That season, the team advanced to the PIAA semifinals, an unusual feat especially for a District 10 and Crawford County program.
“Getting to the state semifinals is probably the best memory of my soccer career,” the Saegertown graduate explained. “I think this is something every high school athlete wants to experience, competing in the state tournament. It was really special that we made it this far.”
Another proudest moment she has experienced in recent years is receiving the Courage Award as part of the Northwest Pennsylvania High School Athletic Awards. It was something she didn't expect, as she had no idea this award existed. Her athletic trainer, Whitney Catalano, worked closely with Bremer for most of her high school career because of the setbacks she faced. Catalano surprised her by letting her know that she had won this award and that it was he who submitted her to receive the honor.
“This was something I never expected and I consider it a group award. This includes Whitney, my physical therapist, Mike Kerr, my coach Jeff Bristow, my family, my coach , I needed the help of a lot of people, including my teammates. It was really hard work to come back and continue my rehabilitation.”
Rehabilitation from his second complete ACL tear was probably the most difficult. The timeline between when she broke the bone and when her surgery was performed forced her to miss all of her junior season games and even forced her to step away from the game of basketball. But her parents, Amy and Michael, and her sisters, Avery and Riley, remained her rock through her most difficult days and moments when she was feeling down about her circumstances.
Through three of the most devastating injuries we see athletes experience on a daily basis, Maggie Bramer just kept going. She remained bright and passionate about her future both in and out of soccer. Braemar reminds us all that although her adversity hits us in many different ways, we can always control our efforts and attitudes.
“I want people who have gone through a similar injury or injury history to me to understand that it is possible to keep going and keep going and come back and get back to playing. There are going to be times when you get discouraged. But don’t let this keep you down for too long,” Bremer said. “If you put in the time and work hard, you will definitely see results.”
