Edina senior Haley Reeck becomes lacrosse program's career scoring leader

As a ninth-grade soccer player, Edina's Haley Reeck sent her team to the state tournament on a double overtime goal. Her touch around the net is even more prevalent in lacrosse.

Reeck, a senior midfielder, recently became the program's career scoring leader. She set the mark in the fourth game of the season and entered this week with 165 career goals. Edina's Athena Award winner this season, Reeck has committed to play college lacrosse at Louisville.

First, she wants to help Edina's top-ranked lacrosse team make its state tournament debut.

Reeck spoke with Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque about moving from Pennsylvania to Edina, making varsity in the seventh-grade, and accidentally throwing away a commemorative ball.

Q: Your cell phone number starts with a Pennsylvania area code. Is that where you are from?
A: Yes, I grew up in Lancaster and lived there through sixth-grade. It's farm country in the middle of nowhere. But my dad went to the University of Minnesota and wanted to move back to this area. I wasn't too excited about it. But I asked for a dog and got that out of it. He's a Weimaraner named Steel.

Q: Growing up out east, were you involved in lacrosse before you moved to Minnesota?

A: Lacrosse was huge at my school. It's like hockey in Edina. I played soccer and lacrosse growing up and I was on a top lacrosse travelling team. When I got here, I tried out for Edina's program as a seventh-grader. I figured that if I could compete against the teams on the East Coast, I would have a pretty good chance.

A: It was huge. You go from not knowing anyone to having instant friends, older girls who were there for me. It was super important to make those relationships. I think being on the team from when I was so young, it helped me grow up a little faster.

Q: When did you realize that you fit in at the varsity level?

A: Probably at tryouts. I was a string bean and I got put against a ginormous senior captain. But I stood my ground and I thought, 'I can do this.' Then I scored my first goal against Minnetonka and I felt like I could contribute.

Q: I'm sure team goals are most important to you. But you are a goal scorer and you started this season with the school record in sight. How were you approaching that personal goal?

A: I was looking forward to accomplishing that goal. Especially after losing all of last season.

A: I ended up with five goals in the game and the third one broke the record. My teammates were all giving me hugs. And Buffalo was really nice about it. They made an announcement about the record, and their goalie gave me the ball. But I wasn't thinking. I thought she gave it to me for the next draw, so I chucked the ball toward the middle of the field. Once I realized it, I was like, 'I'm so sorry.' Then at our next home game, they gave me a plaque.

Q: So far this season, we've seen teams having success against the traditional powers. Minnetonka beat Eden Prairie for the first time, and your team beat 2019 state champion Prior Lake, a team in your section. What do you think your team can accomplish?