Pickett closes in on 200 goals
Stillwater senior striker scoring at prolific pace for top-ranked Warriors
A high school soccer player scoring 31 goals would be considered to have enjoyed a quality career. Someone who tallied 31 goals in one season would be elite. How about 31 goals in 10 games? Welcome to prolific scoring world of Brooke Pickett.
Stillwater’s all-time leading goal scorer is off to a prodigious start to her final scholastic campaign. The senior striker scored at least twice in every game during the first half — one game in August and nine more during September.
“Every game, she has been able to keep that confidence about her and a calmness to finish,” Stillwater coach Christine Ihnatolya said. “She creates scoring opportunities and her teammates create scoring opportunities that eventually she will put one in. If she doesn’t, she knows she has teammates that will back her up.”
For her efforts, Pickett has been selected as the Times Union’s Female of the Month for September.
With two more games added in from this month, Pickett has tallied 38 goals through 13 contests. She produced 52 goals as a junior and netted 49 goals as a sophomore. The senior, the Times Union Small School Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018, now has 188 career goals.
“She has natural ability and a competitive drive,” Ihnatolya said. “She has individual goals, but she mostly wants to accomplish team goals and contribute to our success. She does score a lot of goals. Brooke is always thinking about her team. That is what makes her special.”
Stillwater (12-0-1 overall, 8-0-1 league), the state’s top-ranked Class C team and winner of the 2018 state title, again stands atop the Wasaren League standings.
As she closes in on the 200-goal plateau, Pickett’s prowess on the pitch is undeniable. The senior wants to enhance the Warriors’ soccer legacy by leading the team to another state championship.
“Every team that we play, whether they one of the best teams or one of the weaker teams, brings their ‘A’ game against us. We have to keep trying to achieve and bring our best,” Ihnatolya said.