When the time comes for women’s soccer players to pick their uniforms at East Coweta High School in Georgia, they can choose any number they want — except No. 3.Since 2006, the number has been retired in honor of what East Coweta coach Bert Keown calls the best soccer player to come out of Sharpsburg, Ga. LSU junior midfielder Malorie Rutledge is that player, and after a 155-goal high school career, the Indians made sure she would be the last player to wear the number. “Honestly, it was probably one of the greatest moments,” Rutledge said. “Just the fact that no one at East Coweta High School will ever wear No. 3 again. It’s a great feeling, and I was really honored to have that done. I’ve still got it hanging in my room.”Keown said Rutledge was the best player in the program’s 15-year history, and her exceptional play started before she even got to high school.”She practices at a different level than the others,” Keown said. “She’s just that good. And she was that good before I ever got to her. Somebody coached her along the way from a young age. We knew about her coming from middle school, and we don’t ever hear about players from middle school soccer. We knew that she was going to be a good one.” When she arrived at LSU, she brought that work ethic and skill with her, and it has paid off for her and the Tigers.Through less than three seasons, Rutledge has already broken the LSU record for career assists. Her 30 assists have put her in sole possession of the career mark by eight.Known to some as purely an assist-giver entering the season, Rutledge has rounded out her game and is now a threat to score as well. She leads the Tigers with eight goals and is No. 3 in the Southeastern Conference in scoring. “She’s not just an assist player now,” said LSU coach Brian Lee. “This weekend was a great example — scores the winner on Friday night and gets both assists [Sunday]. She’s dangerous. We’re putting her in the middle of the attacking midfield, and wherever she goes she’s been the most dangerous player on the field every game we’ve played this year.”Rutledge is near the top of the SEC in points, goals, assists and shots and says she attributes it to the hard work she puts in outside of practice. Rutledge and some of her teammates stay after every practice to work on corner kicks and free kicks.”I’ve set certain standards for myself, and I’m trying to reach those, so you have to put a little extra in,” she said. “At the beginning of the season I said I wanted to work on my left foot and my finishing, and so far I’ve worked really hard on those two things.”Rutledge amassed a lengthy list of accomplishments in high school, including being named first-team all county and first-team all region in her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. She was also named a top-75 recruit by Soccer Buzz. “She practices like she plays,” Keown said. “She was just a great person to have out there on the field for the other people to have to emulate and defend against her. So, it made the rest of the team better.”Three years later, she is still at the top of the soccer world. Rutledge was named to three National Teams of the Week earlier this month, was Southeastern Conference Player of the Week last week and is on the watch list for the Hermann Trophy.The Hermann Trophy, presented by the Missouri Athletic Club, is awarded to college soccer’s best male and female players.”She’s been pretty good,” Lee said with a chuckle. “Malorie really worked hard in the off-season to round out her game. Her progress from freshman year to sophomore year and from sophomore year to junior year has been phenomenal.”   
 
 
 
—-Contact Johanathan Brooks at [email protected]