Penobscot Valley High School girls soccer coach Ryan Reed knew he was getting a special player in Amy Hallett after watching her play as a youngster.
She had a productive freshman season but he decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with her before her sophomore campaign.
“She never had to work hard before because she was a great athlete and everything came naturally to her,” Reed said. “So I told her she could be as good as anybody if she worked harder.
“She took it to heart, and she really improved her game,” Reed added.
“He sat me down and told me I had two options. I could either be a great player or, if I worked harder, I could be an amazing player. I chose to work harder, and it has turned out for the better so far,” Hallett, who also has benefited from playing club soccer for Seacoast United, said.
Hallett, a senior, has tied Michelle Austin’s school record for career goals with 62, including 15 this season for the 6-0 Howlers. She will get her first chance to break the record against Searsport on Wednesday.
“[Austin] was an amazing athlete, as was her twin brother, Mike. And she didn’t even play her freshman year because she broke her wrist. Coming in as a freshman, I never expected to be where I am right now,” Hallett said.
Hallett has spent considerable time developing her left foot — her weaker foot — and it has paid off.
“I’m more confident with both feet now,” the 5-foot-10 striker said. “I’ve also gotten faster and a lot stronger. And I can jump a lot higher.”
Beginning last spring, she also dramatically changed her diet.
“I realized that you get out of your body what you put into it,” she said. “I can’t eat mac and cheese the rest of my life. I eat a lot of rice now, along with a lot of vegetables and fruit. And I eat a lot of organic food.”
Reed said she has gotten a lot stronger and faster, and the development of her left foot makes her more versatile and more dangerous.
Hallett and Reed feel the Howlers have some unfinished business.
PVHS has lost three Eastern Maine championship games the last four years, including last year’s 1-0 setback to eventual state champ Ashland.
Reed said this is the deepest of his six teams at PVHS.
In addition to Hallett, there are plenty of other scoring options in Reed’s daughter, freshman midfielder Lauren Reed (8 goals); sophomore Ryley Buck (6 goals) and senior Arianna McKinnon (4 goals, team-high 8 assists).
Freshman striker Judy King has a pair of goals and senior Mikayla Roy starts in the midfield.
PVHS also has three returning starters in the back in Malloree Workman, Elizabeth McKinnon and Tori Watts and has one of the state’s top goalkeepers in Sami Ireland.
Brianna Moon, a freshman, also starts in the back.
Reed has the luxury of bringing five seniors off the bench in Sophia Carson, Taylore Crawford, Ashley McKenzie, Abby Davis and his other daughter, Taryn. Juniors Emily Ringuette and Amanda Brown provide defensive depth.