Scoring 100 goals in a lacrosse career is a milestone. For Ava Collins, the accomplishment has come in less than three full seasons because her freshman year was wiped out by COVID. The senior attacker came into the season needing nine goals to reach the mark and picked up six in the opener and then crossed the finish line against Saucon Valley in game two of the season.

Collins would have hit the mark in the opener against Hazleton, but the Tigers got off to an early lead and romped their way to an 18-4 win, so much of the latter part of the game was devoted to getting some varsity playing time for younger players.

“I feel like it’s more important to get younger girls in to get more experience throughout the game instead of trying to reach the milestone. I’ll eventually get to my goals,” Collins said with a broad smile.

In the fourth season of play for the program, Collins becomes the first to reach the 100-goal mark. Senior Lexi Vennera is next on the list of top scorers with 58 goals and down the road, watch for sophomore Olivia Costa, who scored 24 goals in her freshman season and has another 11 this year.

“I’m happiest because it was a goal of mine coming in and I was able to reach it,” Collins said. “It’s been a little stressful at times, but being the first is because the program is so young and I know there will be others. Some of the girls on this team have a chance to get there before they’re done, so it was more about just the timing and getting into the program early on that made me the first.”

Collins started playing lacrosse in the fifth grade and fell in love with the sport. Back then, she played in the Lower Macungie program before joining the Northwestern youth program when she was in the eighth grade.

While Collins was OK with postponing the milestone, the opener was also a chance for young girls from the youth program to be at the game and it would have been great for them to see first hand what can be accomplished with some hard work. Instead, the lesson was about humility and playing for the good of the team.

“It was great that the youth girls were here today to support us,” Collins said. “I loved that. I love being around them and getting to talk to them after the game. I like being a person that other girls can look up to so that they are looking for me and know they can get help from me if they need it. I love teaching them about the game and getting them to be better players for each other.”

This year’s team is off to a 3-0 start and Collins has 15 goals and five assists on the season, putting her goal mark at 106 and her career assists at 36, which is also the leading mark for the program.

“I feel like Ava is kind of the heart and soul of this program. She really cares about this program and she has from the beginning,” said coach Bridget Cerciello. “She has worked so hard, not only for herself and to get better, but to advance the program and make it better. Every day she comes out and tries to make the people around her better; she’s like a second coach. She wants to bring the younger girls up with her and she has been a great leader.”

Collins will continue her academic and athletic careers at Shippensburg University.