Jaleesa Garner isn’t your average girls high school soccer player.

What sets the Brandywine junior apart from others is her speed.

“Sometimes, it’s definitely an advantage,” said Garner about her speed. “After a ball is kicked over the defense I have the opportunity to take off.”

A shot on goal usually follows and a good chance for a score.

Garner scored a school-record 29 goals as a sophomore. In her first year, at Cassopolis, Garner totaled 33 goals.

After two games this year, Garner has two goals with a goal each in a 1-0 win over Hartford and a 3-1 win over Buchanan.

“She gives great effort,” said Brandywine girls soccer coach Evan Winkler. “She’s running all over the field. That constant effort sets the standard of how to play for everyone else. You know she’s going to get her chances and put one in eventually.”

That’s what happened in Tuesday’s game against Buchanan. On her seventh shot on goal, Garner scored to give Brandywine a 3-1 lead with 45 seconds left in the game.

“Early in the game I was just frustrated because I couldn’t finish with the ball,” Garner said.

“But in the end when I did finish it felt good.”

Garner wouldn’t blame cold temperatures or a wet field for the reasons why she struggled to score.

“It wasn’t hard to play at all in these conditions,” she said. “I just couldn’t finish. I don’t know why. I just didn’t play a good first half at all.”

Garner was happy that teammate Brooke Smith was able to score on goals from 40 and 25 yards in the second half.

“She stepped up big-time,” Garner said. “She’s our captain and she did really well today. She played her heart out.”

Garner was asked if she had the ability to score from long distance like Smith.

“I’d rather use my speed,” she said. “But if I had to I would kick the ball from far out.”

Garner isn’t putting extra pressure on herself to again pile up a significant goal total. Piling up team wins is more important to the Brandywine soccer standout.

“Personally, I have a goal to get better,” she said. “I’m not looking to score everytime.

“As a team, I’d like to see us go far in the state tournament.”

Winkler also isn’t focused on a certain goal total for Garner.

“She’s just going to keep working hard everyday,” Winkler said. “She’s going to get her goals when she gets her goals. There’s no pressure on a number. The numbers are going to come if she just plays her game.”

Garner is hungry to keep improving as a soccer player.

“I just need to get better when it comes to my dribbling skills and kicking the ball and finishing,” Garner said.

“Definitely finishing.”

That’s bad news for opponents.