Ashley Bruns has the routine down. She catches the ball behind the net, sprints to the left or right side of the goal and snaps the ball past the pole and goalkeeper to hit the back of the net.
She has done it for four years after all.
The senior’s role on one of the nation’s top-10 offensive units is being the crease player, and that’s taking control of the game from behind the net, analyzing where to feed the ball at all times. Florida coach Amanda O’Leary deemed her job as the quarterback of the team.
She displayed that on Saturday afternoon for No. 3 Florida (14-1, 2-1 American Lacrosse Conference) when she scored five goals in the 19-9 win over No. 17 Johns Hopkins (7-5, 1-2 ALC).
Bruns totaled five goals in the five games prior to Saturday afternoon.
“I thought today was one of Ashley's best games,” O’Leary said. “She finished her shots, and she was smart with the ball.”
Bruns has 29 goals on the season, good for third on the team. She has also developed a knack for scoring when she shoots – she has the second-best shot percentage on the team, .558, for players that have taken at least six shots or more.
“She's unbelievable from that crease,” senior Kitty Cullen said. “She's able to tool any defender on that crease, and she almost every time scores.”
In her career, Bruns has scored 167 goals, which is good for second all-time.
But Bruns doesn’t just score; she passes, too.
The last three years, she has either led the team or has been second for assists on the season. Though this year she has been in the middle of the pack with seven, she is where majority of the scoring plays start from—behind the net.
This is why Bruns leads the Gators program all-time in assists, dishing out 88 in her four years at Florida. Seniors Cullen and Brittany Dashiell are tied for second with 51.
For Bruns though, she doesn’t see anything she does as special. She sees it as doing her part for the team.
“When I go out there, I just do my job,” she said.
Her teammates and she don’t see eye to eye, though.
“Ashley, I think, is the best crease player in the country,” Cullen said.
Senior Kitty Cullen attempts a shot during Florida’s 14-7 win against Northwestern in the ALC Championship Game on May 5, 2012, at Dizney Stadium. Cullen said teammate Ashley Bruns could beat any defender when Bruns attacks from the crease.
