Fink and Collins lead Panther Creek girls lacrosse in goals, but not egos

There are games when just the goals from Panther Creek sophomore Ashley Fink and senior Megan Collins are enough to win girls lacrosse games.

They lead their teammates in scoring – Fink has 60 goals and Collins 49 through 15 games – and the Catamounts (12-3) are enjoying their best season in school history. But to say they lead their teammates in a more hierarchical way? They’ll shy away from that label.

“I wouldn’t say ‘lead the team,’ ” Collins said. She paused. “I don’t like the word,” she said.

Another pause.

“I don’t like saying ‘lead the team’ because we all work together and there’s a lot of assists.”

Fink and Collins both credit the help they get from the rest of the Panther Creek roster (97 goals combined) which does a lot of other things well, like winning draws.

Fink mentioned the teamwork and camaraderie on the team, alluding to the fact that she’s played with Claire Reist and Abbi Pagano since middle school.

“(Fink) can come out and score goals, and she busts her butt back and gets back on defense every single game, so she is an all-around player,” Panther Creek coach Allison DuChon said.

Collins has the capability to score on nearly every possession, but she’s looking for the best shot, not the first shot.

“My mom tells me as soon as you get the ball, run in and shoot, but that’s not what it’s all about because there’s a lot of defense, and you have to make smart plays and a lot of passes,” Collins said.

This story was originally published April 22, 2017 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Fink and Collins lead Panther Creek girls lacrosse in goals, but not egos."