By Brooke Tunstall
WSL Special Correspondent

Off the lacrosse field, Allie DeBruhl doesn’t seem like she has the type of personality to be a record-setting goal-scorer. 

The recent Lakeridge graduate possesses little of the swagger or arrogance so often associated with elite scorers in any sport. But on the field, well, let her explain it. 

“I don’t know, something just happens and I just want the ball and, I guess, expect to score,” explained DeBruhl, who was the obvious choice for WSL Oregon Player of the Year. “I don’t want to say it comes naturally, but I definitely like to score and I want the ball in my hands and look to score whenever I can.” 

And, oh, how she can score. DeBruhl notched an eye-popping 113 goals and 30 assists in 21 games as a senior and finished her prep career with a state-record 280 goals, while earning all-state recognition three times. 

DeBruhl’s proficiency, finding the net, is a byproduct of more than just her scorer’s mentality, according to Lakeridge coach Jessica Voas. “She’s very skilled around the net,” said Voas. “She’s quick but she doesn’t have the kind of speed that makes you say ‘Oh, she’s fast.’ But she’s very good at attacking defenders 1-v-1, and if you get her on any kind of isolation she’s tough to stop.” 

DeBruhl took up lacrosse in seventh grade after previously playing basketball where she was – what else – a shooting guard.

"I liked basketball but lacrosse is my love and I gave up basketball my sophomore year,” she said.

Voas said despite her natural scorer’s ability, DeBruhl’s success is a byproduct of work and drive.

“She leans very heavily on hard work,” explained Voas. “She’s always looking to get better. Her family deserves a lot of credit for that, because they sacrificed a lot to make sure she had whatever she needed to get better, like getting her to camps and clinics and going back East to get more exposure or competition, because Allie was always working hard to get better.” 

DeBruhl’s hard work and her parents’ sacrifice has paid off in the form of a scholarship to St. Mary’s, an NCAA Division I lacrosse program a few miles outside San Francisco. 

“It felt really comfortable as soon as I got here,” DeBruhl said of her collegiate choice. “It’s a smaller school that feels a lot like my high school. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the lacrosse coaches and the girls on the team made it an easy choice.” 

At St. Mary’s, DeBruhl will be a short drive up Interstate-80 from high school teammate Meghan Jordan, an all-state middie who is joining the UC Davis program.

“It’s great we’ll be so close. We started playing (lacrosse) at the same time and played together for six years. And we’ll get to play each other a couple of times a year,” said DeBruhl, who like most great scorers was quick to credit her playmaker for her scoring numbers. 

“We always worked together so well and Meghan always was able to find me,” said DeBruhl, exhibiting her off-field modesty. “If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have had the kind of year or career I had.”