When it comes to scoring goals, Springdale senior Brittany Loveland has both the quantity -- 120 career goals -- and the quality -- 34 game-winning goals in the last three seasons, 12 this season alone.

A 5-foot-3 forward, she has not just racked up impressive career totals in blowout games, but has made it a habit to score key goals in big games and in the playoffs. Before scoring 12 game-winning tallies this season, she had 10 as a sophomore and 12 as a junior. All the totals led the team each season.

"What Brittany tends to do -- especially in the playoffs -- is not rack up goals but score key goals," Springdale coach Jerry Concannon said.

"She has that natural ability to score but also that natural ability to score in key times when it is needed most."

Her clutch goal-scoring was perfectly exemplified while Loveland was pursuing the century mark in career goals this season.

She found her career total at 97 entering the Dynamos' sixth game of the season against Shady Side Academy, a ranked team that was tied for the section lead when they played and had not allowed a goal until that point. Loveland and the Dynamos brought that shutout streak to a resounding halt with six goals, three from Loveland.

After she banked in a cross from Alexa Sarsfield to complete the hat trick and score the 100th goal of her career, she found her sister and teammate, sophomore Brianna Loveland, on the field.

"When I knew I was close to 100, my sister was telling me to make it count and make it memorable," Brittany said.

"I kind of went on those words and it meant more that I did it against a good team. She was the first one I went to to celebrate after I scored that goal."

Considering Shady Side's defensive dominance throughout the season, it makes Loveland's accomplishment even more remarkable. The Indians shut out the next six teams on their schedule after the 6-3 loss to Springdale.

Loveland struck again against the Indians, scoring 2 goals in a 4-0 win during the teams' second meeting. Throughout the entire regular season, Shady Side allowed just 12 goals, 10 to Springdale, five of which were scored by Loveland.

Springdale finished the regular season 14-1-2 and 12-0-0 in Section 3-AA to win its third consecutive section title. The second-seeded Dynamos opened the playoffs Tuesday with a 5-0 victory against Quigley.

Loveland's ascension from a little known freshman to one of the top goal-scorers in the entire WPIAL paralleled the rise of the Springdale soccer program. The Dynamos had gone five years without reaching the playoffs before competing for WPIAL titles during Loveland's sophomore and junior year. Those were the first two years under Concannon.

The goal production from Loveland has increased each year as she has led the team in scoring four consecutive seasons. As a freshman, Loveland scored 18 goals, it would be the only time she would fail to top 30 in a season. Her sophomore year she reached 32 before a career high 37 last year.

That career high is still in jeopardy of being broken as Loveland has 31 this season heading into the postseason.

Loveland has plans to play soccer on the collegiate level. She is in the midst of narrowing her choice of colleges. She will likely compete at a Division II school.

"A savvy college coach will be able to balance her natural ability with her speed and strength," Concannon said.

"She is already built like a college athlete. She is very strong physically and she is very fast."

Loveland has used that speed the past two years to compete in track. She said she will likely compete in that sport again this spring. The past two seasons she has helped Springdale's 1,600-meter relay capture two WPIAL Class AA gold medals along with soccer and track teammates Stephanie King, Laura Gajdosik and Sarsfield.

Unfortunately for Loveland, the track gold was the only gold she has procured in her WPIAL career. Springdale has been denied the first-place medal by South Park twice in the WPIAL title game and twice in the PIAA semifinals in consecutive seasons.

Mike White's "High School Sports Edition" videos are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.