Ava Ferrie is serving as a senior captain for Branford girls’ soccer team this season. Playing midfield for the Hornets, Ava features a unique blend of vision and speed that make her both a dangerous scorer and an accurate passer. Ava has played a vital role in an impressive start to the season for Branford, which has a record of 10-2 and has won 7 games in a row.

Ava leads Branford team that is excelling on the offensive end of the pitch in 2022. The Hornets are averaging more than 4 goals per game, and Ava scored 4 goals herself in a recent contest. However, while the goals continue to pile up, Ava notes that the Hornets’ defense has been just as big of a factor in their success this season.

“I’m really proud of our defense so far. They are doing an amazing job,” says Ava. “They’re one of the reasons why we have won so many games. They’re really strong in the back.”

Branford’s defense is anchored by Ava’s fellow captain, junior Emma O’Connor. Ava credits their communication and teamwork as essential components to creating a well-rounded team on both sides of the ball.

“I think we work really well together. We both take care of everyone on the field, but she talks to her defense, I talk to the offense, and we have a really good relationship,” Ava says. “We’re always on the same page. I can always trust her with the ball and know her tackles are really good. She’s not afraid to go for a person, get the ball, and pass it up. She’s an amazing partner.”

As the postseason tournaments draw closer, Ava feels that the Hornets have some unfinished business. Last year, Branford took a 2-1 loss to eventual Class L champion St. Joseph in the quarterfinal round of states after holding a 1-0 lead at halftime. Ava believes that this year’s team has what it takes to continue where last year’s squad left off and advance further in the state draw.

“We want to win and, last year, we were really close,” says Ava. “We lost to St. Joe’s, and that was a really big upset, because we thought we felt like we had it in the bag. But this year, we really want to win, and I think with this team we can do that.”

With much of Branford’s offense running through her, Ava is going to play a major role for the Hornets as they try to make a memorable journey through states this year. This is something that Head Coach Jen Kohut certainly understands.

“She’s our go-to person. She controls everything in the middle, she has great vision, and everything really plays through her,” Kohut says of Ava. “She sees where her teammates are, and she can put that ball there on a dime. She can play it over the top with her right foot, play it on the ground with her left foot, and score with either. She’s a complete player.”

Coach Kohut has seen Ava grow as a soccer player since the senior captain joined Branford’s varsity team as a freshman. Kohut notes that Ava’s increased confidence has been the key in terms of taking her game to the next level. Ava has earned All-Southern Connecticut Conference honors in each of her first three seasons with the Hornets.

“She came in with a great skillset. She is a gifted athlete. She only knows how to work one way, and it’s as hard as she can,” says Kohut. “She’s one of the most competitive players I’ve had, but she would, maybe in her freshman year, just be down on herself a little bit, but now she’s much more composed. She’s turned into a really nice leader out there on the field, so I think, probably her confidence has been the biggest [area of growth]. She came in as a good player, and I think she leaves us as one of the best to come through Branford soccer.”

Ava is joined on the team by her younger sister Tess Ferrie, a junior. Having a familiar face on the field is something that Ava cherishes and will miss once she graduates from Branford.

“I love playing with my sister,” Ava says. “She is an amazing player. It’s going to be really different next year not playing with her.”

Next year, Ava plans to attend Rider University in New Jersey and join the school’s Division I soccer program. Ava understands that playing at the collegiate level will lead to new challenges and different experiences. It will also require a lot of dedication and constant improvement. However, Ava is no stranger to these things.

“Over the summer, I would go to the field every day, work on my left foot, and try and even my left and right foot out, because I know that going into next year, at a different level, you need your both left and right foot,” Ava says.

Ava’s extra work during the offseason has certainly paid off. Ava recently passed Hornets’ legend Tanya Altrui for second place on the all-time points list among Branford girls’ soccer players. Ava has scored 45 goals to go with 27 assists thus far in her high school career. However, when she reflects upon Branford history, Ava says that team achievements motivate her more than any personal accolades.

“Something that really motivates our team is hearing about all of the past girls that have come through Branford and their record,” says Ava. “It just really drives us and motivates us even more to want to win SCCs and states. We love hearing the people that have come before us and how great they were.”