GODFREY — Between playing high-level club soccer as well as the high school variety, Brianna Hatfield knows full well about the different levels of skill involved. And while she’s been able to adjust her style to meet each level’s requirements, one thing remains constant with her:

She takes it all head-on – with an appropriate measure of excitement throw in.

“Going into last high-school season,” Hatfield said, “I knew we had some really good players and I was excited. And the way thing went, I thought, was great. I was very happy with the effort the whole season, not just the way it started or the way we played at the end of the season. Everybody gave their best effort all season and that’s all you can ask.”

Hatfield led the way for the 13-6-2 Redbirds. As a junior, she scored 20 goals and added three assists and is The Telegraph Large-Schools Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

Just as important as were her goals, Hatfield drew the attention of opposing teams so much that it affected the way other Alton players were marked.

“Bri is the kind of player who affects the flow of the game in a lot of ways,” Alton coach Jeff Hayes said. “She is a great leader on and off the field. The other players know she knows what she’s talking about. And the other teams know her talent and they sometimes shake things up on their end because of that.”

Hatfield was named to a pair of All-State teams, as selected by the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association and the ChicagolandSoccer.com. She was also a Southwestern Conference first team all-conference selection.

Hatfield, a Florida Gulf Coast recruit, also plies her trade with the high-profile Scott Gallagher Soccer Club and has been active this summer with the Fire & Ice Soccer Club reserves.

“I like to look at high school soccer as more laid back,” Hatfield said, “not to say that we aren’t serious or don’t play hard, because we all do. But I love playing with my friends and for my school. That makes it fun.”

Because of her commitment to the Fire & Ice reserves, Hatfield missed this summer’s Olympic Development program events, as well as the US Soccer Regional Combine. But she’s put in plenty of effort in previous camps that her skills became well known early on in her career.

Before her Scott Gallagher team’s season gets started in late August, Hatfield will attend a soccer camp at Florida Gulf Coast University, to which she verbally committed last February.

“I’m really looking forward to both,” she said. “I’m very excited to get club season started and I love going to (FGCU).”

Hatfield wanted to get the college-choice decision out of the way early instead of waiting until next spring.

“They were one of the first places I had contact with when I started looking at colleges,” Hatfield said. “I love the atmosphere, the field is amazing, the players are great and I have a really good relationship with the coaches.”

Florida Gulf Coast University is an NCAA Division I school located in Fort Meyers. The Eagles were 14-5-1 last season and advanced to the NCAA National Tournament where they fell to Florida.

“I’m not sure exactly what I want to major in,” Hatfield said, “but I do know it will be business related and they have an excellent business department.”

While she attacks soccer at all levels with the same enthusiasm, Hatfield said she doesn’t mix them.

“This fall, I’ll concentrate on club soccer,” she said. “And when we start high school preseason practice, I’ll focus on that.”

Hatfield is optimistic about the Redbirds’ chances next season.

“We only lost three players, but two of them were really good defensive players (Lexi Schrimpf and Annie Evans),” she said. “I think we have players who were freshmen last year who can come in and do a good job, so I think we have a good chance to have a good season.”