When it comes to her soccer education, Meghan Schnur insists she hasn't graduated.

But the Butler graduate has put together a number of classroom memories.

Next fall, Schnur will be a junior in terms of soccer eligibility at the University of Connecticut. She was a junior at Butler when the Golden Tornado reached the PIAAClass AAAgirls soccer championship game.

Since then, Schnur has been named Pennsylvania Girls Soccer Player of the Year as a high school senior, Big East Freshman of the Year her first year at UConn, has played on the Under-19 national team that took the bronze medal at the 2004 World Cup and was named Most Valuable Player-East in the Women's Premier Soccer League last summer.

So what's next?

"Just keep learning and getting better,"Schnur said. "That's what's so awesome about playing in the WPSL. I was a teammate of former UConn players, some Boston University players. ... I talk to them and get a totally different perspective on the game.

"For years, you figure you've been doing a certain thing right on the field. Then you learn you've been doing it wrong."

With seven goals and six assists, Schnur finished third in the WPSLin scoring last summer while playing for the New England Mutiny.

UConn is going through its five-game spring season now. Schnur plans to rejoin the Mutiny after the spring semester.

"No question, that league has made Meghan a better player,"said UConn women's soccer coach Len Tsantiris. "It's helped her adjust to a different style of play."

Schnur scored five goals and had nine assists as a freshman at UConn in 2003, helping the Huskies reach the NCAAchampionship game. Since she was on the World Cup team, she didn't play for UConn in 2004.

She returned to the Huskies last fall and scored four goals and five assists in helping the team to a 10-1 Big East record, good enough to share the league's regular season title.

UConn reached the NCAATournament for the 24th time under Tsantiris, but lost in the first round to Boston University.

"I came to UConn to win a national championship,"Schnur said. "Until that happens, I haven't achieved my goal."

To reach that goal, she'll have to be one of the leaders.

"I need that out of Meghan,"Tsantiris said. "She's one of my most talented players and one of my few veteran players."

The Huskies started four freshmen last season. One of them, Brittany Taylor, led the team with eight goals. UConn will have only three seniors on its roster in the fall.

"One of our assistant coaches, Sarah Barnes, told me next year's team will be the most talented one UConn's had,"Schnur said. "That's saying a lot, given the history of this program."

Schnur described the spring workouts as intense. The players go through a lot of fitness, strength and conditioning drills.

Through the summer, "it's up to us to stay in shape,"she said. "That's why I keep playing soccer."

Because of her travels with the national team, Schnur said she's fallen behind in her academic schedule, but she still plans to get her doctorate at UConn. She had a 4.4 grade point average in high school.

"That was such a wonderful experience, playing for the national team,"Schnur said. "Now I'm working hard to catch up, get my major and grad school plans squared away.

"I'd love to play for the national (under-21) team, if they ever call me up. Once you get a taste of that, you want to do it again. In the meantime, we have work to do (at UConn)."