The most visible symbol of all the trouble Megan Berry has been through in her athletic career is a knee brace.

There is no getting around it - a knee brace always looks ugly on a basketball player. It appears cumbersome. The fan's view is that a player always looks slower when forced to wear one.

The 20-year-old Berry, whose career at Ipswich High was interrupted by a broken leg and a torn anterior cruciate ligament, has finally been able to shed the brace as a sophomore starting guard for the UMass Lowell women's basketball team.

It gives her a sense of freedom and mobility - but it's also a reminder of the long road she's taken to get where she is today.

"I'm so proud of her because of all she's been through," Ipswich High coach Mandy Zegarowski said of Berry, who was a Cape Ann League All-Star in 2005-06 after averaging 15.4 points and burying 54 3-pointers.

"A lot of people don't know how tough it was for Megan her senior year. She was healthy again (after suffering the torn ACL in her right knee as a junior), but when you get to that stage the recruiting doors aren't open anymore."

Zegarowski said she tried contacting different schools on Berry's behalf, but couldn't get her a tryout. UMass Lowell was the only place that would look at her.

"Coach (Kathy O'Neil) had her roster of 14 players, but she gave Megan a chance," said Zegarowski. "Megan went from having nothing to being their 15th player."

The 5-foot-9 Berry has made considerable progress since that one-day audition in Lowell in the spring of 2006.

She broke into the UMass Lowell starting lineup during her freshman year; this season she's played a more prominent role for the 9-9 River Hawks. Berry has started in 13 games and averaging 8.0 points on 42 percent shooting. She leads the team in 3-point baskets (26) and, overall, ranks third on the team in scoring.

Making the most of her chance

Berry's forte is her shooting touch - Zegarowski says she has a form you can't teach - and has a natural feel for the game. She's more conscientious about her defensive responsibilities as a sophomore and is striving to become a more complete player, knowing it could lead to extended minutes and a more meaningful contribution to the team.

"I got to play in all the games last year; that was good for my confidence," said Berry, whose identical twin sister, Molly, is the team manager for the River Hawks. "They made me believe in my shot as a freshman and I found out the things I needed to work on. I wore the brace (last season), but now I'm out of (it) and I'm quicker this season, which makes a difference.

"This is a great place to play basketball," added Berry, who is on a partial scholarship. "We play in an awesome league (the Northeast-10), one of the best in the country. Southern Connecticut is in our league and they won (the NCAA Division 2) title last year. So every game is tough - and we're growing as a team."

O'Neil, who is in her 23rd season as the UMass Lowell women's coach, says she was simply open-minded about getting Berry at the last minute. The coach had to base her decision on the one-day workout, some videotape of Ipswich games and Berry's play with her AAU team.

The fact that Zegarowski asked for a tryout in the first place meant the Ipswich coach vouched for Berry's character and the intangibles she brought to a team.

"Megan is a good person," said O'Neil, who eventually worked Berry into a lineup that had three sophomores and two freshmen last year. "What we saw during her visit was that she was also obviously a good shooter who wanted to get better.

"She's doing more this season. Megan runs the court very well and she has a knack for getting the ball. To her credit, she came in physically stronger because she knew she'd have to do more. She's working on getting more assertive on defense - she's already pretty assertive on offense. I can't say enough nice things about Megan."

A desire to constantly improve

Berry has wanted to play college basketball "ever since I was a little girl." A lot of kids have that dream, but Berry pursued it vigorously.

Her grammar school basketball education included a three-year stint with coach John Henderson's Cape Ann Travel Team, where she was the only girl on the roster. She credited that experience with accelerating her progress, since the boys played at a faster tempo and were more physical.

Henderson, who has coached youth basketball in Ipswich for the last 12 years, was thrilled to have Berry on his travel team. His philosophy was simple: if it was clear that a girl is good enough to play with the boys, she shouldn't be denied that opportunity. Berry easily fit that guideline.

"Even when she was a little kid, the thing you noticed about Megan is that she had terrific shooting range," said Henderson. "Her skill level was as good or better than any kid we had on those travel teams.

"Some of the coaches thought it was a novelty to have a girl, but when she started hitting jumpers and making 3-pointers, they changed their tune and started bumping her around. And some parents were ticked off that we had a girl because it meant she was taking up a boy's spot. But at halftime of the first game she played, they realized that Megan belonged."

Berry got as much as she could out of her Ipswich High career, although injuries robbed her of two seasons. A broken right leg during soccer season her freshman year wiped out any possibility of playing basketball that season, and a torn ACL her junior year kept her on the shelf - although she postponed surgery in order to play on a limited basis late in the season when Ipswich was close to qualifying for the state tourney.

"Megan didn't have to do that," said Zegarowski, referring to Berry's decision to put off surgery her junior year. "She could've been operated on right away and gotten ready for AAU ball. Megan took one for the team that year."

As Berry is quick to point out, Zegarowski more than returned the favor by advocating for her when the player was looking to play college ball. UMass Lowell has been an excellent fit.

"Basketball at this level is a huge commitment," said Berry, "but I couldn't imagine not playing college basketball."

Meet Megan Berry

Age: 20

Hometown: Ipswich

School: Sophomore at UMass Lowell

Basketball highlights: Starting guard for the River Hawks and the team's third leading scorer at 8 ppg; leads team with 26 3-point baskets and is shooting 42 percent from the field.

Memorable season: As an Ipswich senior, one of Berry's teammates was freshman Amber Smith, who has since gone on to score 1,106 points for the Tigers.

Family fans: Mother and father, Dan and Shirley, attend many of her games; identical twin sister Molly is UMass Lowell team manager and lives with her.

Quotable: "The difference in Megan's game is that in high school, everyone depended on her and expected her to do a lot. In college, she's been able to do her own thing. Her defense has come a long way. She's great at shooting the 3-pointer and sees the court really well."

- Former Ipswich High player Molly Berry, Megan's twin sister