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Lakeview’s Pavlik sets records to remember
Prior to her final season on Lakeview’s soccer team, Alli Pavlik said she wanted people to remember her name once she left.
She made sure of that by finishing her career on the pitch with 137 goals and followed that up by setting the school’s all-time scoring mark with 1,568 points on the hardwood.
Not only will people remember Pavlik’s name, but it’ll be etched in the Lakeview record books for years to come.
For that, she’s The Vindicator’s selection for Female Athlete of the Year.
“It’s such a great honor,” said Pavlik. “I could not have asked for a better top to everything I’ve done in my career.”
Her career began with doubt, and almost didn’t happen at Lakeview.
Pavlik wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in the Cortland school district. She looked at Howland, but ultimately stayed at Lakeview.
“It was probably the best choice I’ve ever made staying at Lakeview,” the four-year letter winner said. “With the three basketball coaches I’ve had, and the two coaches in soccer, I couldn’t have asked for any better. “They’ve taught me so much and have made me the player that I really, honestly am today and I could not thank them enough.”
She also has her younger sister, Abby, to thank. The two have been playing soccer and basketball alongside each other since the start, with the exception of Alli’s freshman year of high school. That year she played on a soccer team full of seniors and was forced to play outside midfield, instead of her usual forward position.
She proceeded to score 21 goals.
“I guess I did pretty well my freshman year without her, but I have to give her a lot of the credit for soccer and basketball,” said Alli. “She’s my best friend, so leaving her is definitely going to be the hardest part. We’re kind of a duo.”
Her 43 goals in the fall was her highest scoring output of her career. Although her Bulldogs were eliminated from the playoffs in the district final, Pavlik considers her senior season a success.
“My senior year was probably one of my favorite years. That was kind of my goal,” she said. “I wanted to get the records, leave my name, and make sure younger girls remember me and I think that I’ve done that.”
She also still had a few milestones to reach on the basketball court. Pavlik was shooting for the 1,000 point plateau and the school record for career points.
She achieved both goals, averaging 27 points, and threw in a 56-point game just for good measure.
“It was just a great environment,” she said of her time at Lakeview. “They always encouraged me and I always had great friends who would be there for me no matter what I did.
“I’m glad I made the decision to stay. Lakeview will always be with me and I’m glad.”
Now that her high school career is done, Pavlik will head to Ohio Dominican on a soccer scholarship. While there she plans on pursuing a business degree and feels like she has management in her future. That seems like a natural transition for someone who takes control of her surroundings on the field.
“I don’t expect to walk in and start. That’s never my mentality,” she said. “I don’t expect things to be handed to me. I like to work for the things that I get.
“My goal is to work hard and do what I’ve been doing and hopefully get a starting position. That’s my goal and if I don’t get it I’ll just keep working hard until I do.”
Pavlik’s not excited about giving up basketball, but she added that she wants to make sure she has some fun while in college, too. However for someone as competitive as she is, nothing can be ruled out.
“I would love to play both,” she said. “Maybe in the future if I were to ask them and see. I’m not going to say it’s out of the question.”