One of Ariana Lopez’s favorite pastimes back in elementary school was kicking the soccer ball around with her older brother.

When her dad signed her up for a local club team at age 8, it didn’t take long for the East Valley senior captain to set herself apart on the pitch.

“My brother helped me figure out that I wanted to play at a high level,” she said of Diego Lopez, a senior standout at Western Washington University. “I looked up to him a lot, and when I saw what he was able to accomplish as a player, I decided that I wanted to push for that, too.”

By the time Lopez was in middle school, she was competing against girls two years older — and stronger — than she was. Like any elite athlete, she was unfazed.

“Playing against girls who were faster and more physical helped me develop my mindset and my skills faster than if I played against girls my own age,” Lopez said. “That experience really helped me develop my game.”

Lining up against bigger, stronger competition opened the door for Lopez to join the Olympic Development Program (ODP) during her freshman and sophomore years, giving her an opportunity to showcase her skills against other top players from coast to coast.

“Playing against so many talented players was such a great experience,” she said. “It makes the game really fun when you’re up against people who have the same mentality as you do. I loved playing at that level, and I hope I get a chance to do it again someday.”

All of that time spent traveling around to invitational tournaments inevitably netted Lopez some attention from a number of Northwest college programs. Among the Division I colleges she’s considering are the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Seattle University, University of Idaho and University of Portland.

After watching her brother excel at Division II Western Washington the past three years, Bellingham is also on her short list. But having an opportunity to go D-I may be too hard to pass up.

“There haven’t been many D-I players from Yakima, and it would be pretty cool to be on that list,” Lopez said. “It makes me happy to know those coaches believe I could help their programs. That just warms my heart.”

Before she can start thinking about where to play next year, Lopez needs to get through her senior season at East Valley. And, so far, it’s been going gangbusters.

In her first eight games, the three-time all-CWAC midfielder has scored a Yakima Valley-best 20 goals, leading the Red Devils to a sparkling 7-0-1 record.

“We have 10 seniors this year, and our goal is to win a district title and get back to the final four of state,” Lopez said. “We’re halfway through the season, and everything is starting to click.”

On a personal level, Lopez has set her sights on 100 career goals. Heading into Tuesday’s league showdown with Selah, she has tallied a jaw-dropping 91 goals in her high school career.

“It’s been a great senior season so far, and I just want to keep doing whatever I can to help us win,” she said.

As she enters the home stretch of an illustrious career, Lopez looks back on all of the support she has received from her family, friends, coaches and teammates. Most of all, she’s grateful to her parents, Jorge and Enedina, for helping her realize her dreams.

“Our family has really bonded over soccer, and that’s one of the reasons why I love it so much,” Lopez said. “My parents have driven me all over the place and gone with me on trips to places like Florida, Colorado, Texas and California. My brothers have also played a big role in my success, and we push each other to be the best we can be. It means so much to know that everyone in my family loves soccer as much as I do.”