Over her four years, Pleasant Valley’s Rylee Rath admittedly has faced her share of defenses and game plans to curb her scoring.

When you’re arguably the area’s best to play the game with over 500 career points, it can be expected.

Yet, as her team prepares for the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs Tuesday when they will host Avon Grove, Rath and her squad have turned their attention to themselves.

Their 22-2 overall record heading into the state tournament can be a statement of self-assurance. Being a defending three-time district champion has further supported their cause.

“We’re focusing more on ourselves than the other team,” said Rath, who has scored 127 goals with 54 assists this season. “We have worked on improving through the season.”

Rath, who has tallied 455 career goals and 155 assists in her career as well as netting over 1,000 career draw controls, anticipates Avon Grove’s primary attention will be on her, but she rather sees the whole than her being the primary part.

“It’s still about us working as a team,” added Rath, who has spearheaded the Bears’ offensive assault of 336 team goals. “I’ve had to work through other teams’ defenses, but we’re all focusing on the playoffs and going as far as we can.”

Rath has been an effective one-two scoring punch with sophomore Brielle Halamar, who has had a banner season with 88 goals after 23 her first year.

“She’s a great player,” offered Rath of Halamar. “She is my type of player, and we have worked together well. Our styles have meshed well, and we have benefited from each other.”

Halamar has appreciated Rath’s guidance.

“She has helped me with my game,” said Halamar about Rath. “I have been able to pick things up from her game and adjust mine. I know my game has improved, and we all have worked well together.

“For us, it’s about the trust we have in each other, and that has helped us win.”

Head coach Hanna Doerner, who is in her first season, initially saw some adjustments from a team that lost 10 seniors, including Devin Bush who scored 111 goals last year and 400 career ones.

“Everyone has different roles, and we knew that from the beginning,” reflected Doerner. “We had new players and players playing different positions. We were struggling with injuries and sicknesses.

“But we had a number of JV players who stepped up for us.”

Doerner cited an 11-10 overtime victory over Southern Lehigh May 1 as a turning point, a game in which the Bears initially trailed 5-0.

“We were down and made some adjustments,” stressed Doerner. “We gained a lot of confidence from that game, and it took us to another level.”

Doerner believes her club can still reach its peak.

“We have had a number of different defenses thrown at us this season,” emphasized Doerner. “We know what works well for us, and we’ll look at their offensive and defensive schemes.

“I think we can take it to another level.”

BEAR CLAWS ... Faceoff for Tuesday’s game is 11:30 a.m. ... Avon Grove (14-9) finished fourth in the District 1 Class 3A bracket, dropping a 14-5 decision to Springfield-Delco in a third-place contest ... Pleasant Valley routed Delaware Valley 18-3 in a play-in game last week ... Junior Sam Miller has 31 goals, and sophomore Peyton Knecht has 29. Junior goalie Emi Stipeck has 91 saves ... The Bears finished 22-3 last season, beating Upper Dublin 12-6 in a first-round state game before they fell to Springfield-Delco 22-3 in a quarterfinal contest.