On May 31, 2014, a pair of senior playmakers stepped off the Dail Soccer Field at N.C. State University with state runner-up medals around their necks, just minutes after suffering a 2-0 loss in the state championship. It was the last time Washington’s Alana Jefferson and Harley Hudson, the catalysts behind one of the state’s top midfields, sported their blue and white Pam Pack jerseys.

At that moment, Caitlyn Scott, the only returning every day midfielder from the state championship team, assumed a heavy burden — finding a way to replicate 89 goals of production generated from the center of the field.

Inheriting a team of 10 freshmen, Scott, who scored 20 goals her junior year, was now tasked with leading the offense, working with the younger players and creating opportunities. After dedicating the summer to bettering her game, the Pam Pack captain came out on a mission and finished her senior season with 37 goals, leading the team to a second-consecutive Eastern Plains Conference championship.

“She understood her role as one of the leading scorers and she accepted it,” said head coach Ed Rodriguez. “She knew scoring was going to be a problem because we didn’t have much experience with people who haven’t been in that situation. She understood the role and took it on with no problem. She understood more about running, her lanes and creating space for herself.”

For her efforts in leading the Pack this season, the Eastern Plains committee named Scott as the Conference Player of the Year. She tallied 12 more goals than the second-leading scorer, North Johnston’s Samantha Richardson.

Washington may not have duplicated their historic 2014 campaign in 2015, but the team’s 15-6 record is notable considering its limited experience. With just five returning starters, freshmen and sophomores filled in the gaps, gaining knowledge with each cap and becoming contributors down the stretch.

“This year, I thought me and the other captains had to teach the other girls because most of our team was all freshmen,” Scott said. “Basically teaching them and helping them, seeing where they were from the beginning of the season to the end, how we all came together as a team, that just really stood out. How much we accomplished with what we had, it was a good season.”

Transitioning from role player to difference maker, Scott’s performance on the field did not go unnoticed. Earlier this year, she became the second player in program history and the first since Beth Batchelor in 2010 to commit to a Division I school, Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C. It’s the first Division I player Rodriguez has coached.

“If she works on her control and strengthens her left she — she has a good right foot, she’s a strong runner, she’s a strong girl as far as not being afraid of contact,” Rodriguez said. “If she can work on the little things and get a little more control, she can definitely be a contributor in college.”

In May, Scott began a daily 12-week fitness program in preparation for soccer at the highest collegiate level. The program is broken down into three principal categories — speed, strength and technical ability — while also incorporating anaerobic, aerobic and CrossFit workouts. Her nutrition is monitored and she supplements the program with Olympic weight and speed training with Chad Holderness, a personal trainer at Fitness Unlimited in Washington. Twice a week, Scott also travels to Greenville to work on tactical training with the Pitt-Greenville Soccer Association.

“We’re looking at a couple of different positions for me,” Scott said. “I think I may be playing more of a defensive position, opposed to more offensively (like in high school). I think my aggression, love for the game and drive will help me at the next level.”

As for the Pam Pack, Scott believes the team built a solid foundation this spring and is in good hands for the future.

“When we leave, it’s good to know there are people there who can keep the team going, help out and pick up that leadership role,” she said. “It was great working with all them and getting to know them better. I got to teach my sister (Christina), who was a freshman. It was just little things like that made it special.”

Scott reports to Wofford on Aug. 5 for fitness testing and preseason workouts.