Soccer --Princeton's Allie Britt inks with Barton College

By Justin Hayes
Published in Sports on February 11, 2018 3:08 AM

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PRINCETON -- No frills.

Such was the case on Thursday at Princeton High School, as senior midfielder Allie Britt confirmed a plan years in the making by signing a national letter of intent to play collegiate soccer this fall at nearby Barton College.  

And the ceremony, an understated affair attended by a small gathering of coaches, family and teammates, spoke directly to who Britt is as an athlete.

There was no pomp and outrageous circumstance.

There was no look-at-me hoopla.

There was, however, a hard-working, multi-sport kid who was very much ready to make her post-secondary plans official.

After all, it's the very approach that made the moment possible.

"She's been a competitor this entire time," said Princeton head coach Thomas Pilkington. "Been a true competitor... coming here as a new student, and wanting to succeed, and having soccer be successful...  she's taken leadership roles, not just on the field, but off the field as well."

Indeed. 

Britt transferred to PHS after two seasons at Wake Christian, and over the course of her first campaign in blue-and-gold, positioned herself squarely on the radar of college coaches in the area.

Through her first 20 matches, the versatile midfielder -- also a Goldsboro News-Argus All-Area football selection as a placekicker -- averaged 1.9 points per outing, setting the tone for a solid 2017 campaign with a pair of 5-point outbursts versus North Lenoir and Hobbton in a span of just three weeks.

Just par for the course, really, when one considers Britt's approach to hard work -- which, above all else, revolves around her willingness to be coached.

"It's definitely a joy, when you have somebody and you give them a directive, and they work on that skill,"  Pilkington noted. "That's something I appreciate as a coach, because it's not something that happens with every student-athlete."

Long a fan of the Barton program, Britt will join former PHS stars Chelsea Hawley and Maddie Adkins in Wilson -- a prospect certainly not lost on anyone attending Thursday's ceremony.

"I think the small-school environment helps," Pilkington said of the relationship between the two schools. "Our girls have seen former players go there and have success, and heard stories, and it's a big draw for them to know that they may have the same impact on that level."

All that's left now is the work ahead -- something Allie Britt is not opposed to doing.