By Jim Hague
It was the summer of 2016 and Iné Collins had her future all mapped out. The former Rancocas Valley soccer standout was headed to Penn State-Brandywine to play soccer there.
But then, something happened along the way.
“The financial aid I was supposed to get fell short,” said Collins, whose first name is pronounced IN-AY. “So I decided that I wasn’t going there.”
Collins then changed courses and decided to attend Rutgers-Newark, but at first, she didn’t want to play soccer. She was determined to concentrate on her intense course load as a double major in psychology and African-American and African studies.
“I wasn’t going to play here,” Collins said.
But then Collins attended a Scarlet Raiders game and the light bulb above her head went off.
“I watched the game and said, ‘Maybe I can play here,’” Collins said. “When I saw that game, I saw myself fitting into that system.”
Collins then fired off an e-mail to R-N head women’s soccer coach Ariana Ruela and told the coach that she was interested in playing.
“I invited her to a practice,” Ruela said. “When she got here, I immediately said, ‘Where have you been? What took you so long?’”
Collins said that it took a while for her to get accustomed to the team and to get in playing shape.
“I walked on so late and the season had already started,” Collins said. “It was two weeks before I even saw the field. Eventually, I worked my way up.”
Collins played stopper in high school, but Ruela utilizes the “four across” system of defense.
“I was actually not the biggest fan of being a stopper,” Collins said. “I like the four-by-four better.”
Collins said that she felt like she belonged almost instantly.
“I did feel like I was part of the team right away,” Collins said. “It took a while with the chemistry, but it was easy to get in tune with everyone.”
Once Collins was fit, Ruela counted on her to be a mainstay on the back line.
“She was a pleasant surprise,” Ruela said. “She makes everyone around her step up and play at her level. She demands that from everyone. Once she was ready to go, she was easily one of our leaders.”
As a freshman, Collins saw action in 11 games and started eight of those.
Now, as a sophomore, Collins is a fixture on the Scarlet Raiders’ back line as one of the team’s center backs.
“At first, that was a little nerve wracking, having that responsibility,” Collins said about playing such a vital role. “I learned that you can’t be quiet back there. You have to communicate with everyone. I’m getting more comfortable with the role, but I think I still have a ways to go.”
Ruela doesn’t think so.
“She’s a solid defender,” Ruela said. “Once she learned the system, she became a dominant leader. She’s demanding in what she wants from us. She’s been a force. She’s unstoppable. She plugged up one of the holes that we had in our defense. She’s proving to be a very important person for us.”
Collins is not resting on her laurels.
“So far, so good,” Collins said. “I always have to make sure I’m on my game, because I have such an important position. I came in ready this year. We did a lot of strength and conditioning in the offseason and over the summer. I knew that I had to be in better shape this year to be on the field right away.”
And now, Collins might not ever come off the field, if Ruela has her way.
“She holds that line in front of the goal,” Ruela said. “The back line is doing a great job.”
“I think I’m doing pretty well,” Collins said. “My vision is a lot better. I’m distributing the ball from the back better, compared to last year. I’m a whole lot better than last year. I’m not getting tired on the field.”
Ruela also likes what Collins brings off the field.
“She has a good personality,” Ruela said. “She’s high energy. She’s a lot of fun, yet she’s very focused in every moment on the field.”
As for the personality, Ruela best described her standout defender as being “very lively.”
“She’s fun loving,” Ruela said. “She’s energetic all the time. She’s the one playing the music on the bus, getting everyone going.”
The music taste offers a wide variety from Michael Jackson to Cracker ‘N Fluff, two artists that Collins listed as her favorites to listen to.
“She has a little bit of everything on her Ipod,” Ruela said.
Collins is a very conscientious student, posting a 4.0 grade point average during the second semester of her freshman year.
“School is the reason why I’m here,” Collins said. “Playing soccer is just a privilege.”
Collins said that her ultimate goal will be to head to graduate school and eventually pursuit of a Master’s degree.
“I would love to be a high school guidance counselor,” Collins said. “But I also want to do something with activism and non-profits, as long as it’s around helping people.”
Needless to say, Collins is at home at R-N.
“Absolutely,” Collins said. “I do not regret a thing. Every day I wake up and I’m proud to wear the R-N on my jersey every day.”
