NTL BOYS' SOCCER: NEB EYES A PLAYOFF BERTH IN 2024 (2024-08-19)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Northeast Bradford boys’ soccer comes in with plenty of holes to fill after losing five long time players to graduation, but the Panthers are used to rolling with the punches.

“I realized that you don’t necessarily fill them, you change,” said NEB coach Scott Merritt. “Maybe you fill them, but really, I always feel like you evolve, the same formation doesn’t work for every team, and you can’t really get over a great player leaving, but you have to anyways, and you always have to find a way and just figure out the next solution we have. I have some ideas for how we’re going to make some adjustments, and I think it’s working out to what I want to do when I’m looking at the players on the field.”

They lost the NTL’s leading goal scorer in Josh Stanton, but his brother, Eli Stanton, was one of the best defensive players in the league, and he returns to run the backline.

“It’s fun teaching the other kids what to do, and how to run defense in our defensive way,” Stanton said. 

Along with getting them familiar with the offsides trap, they’ll also be breaking in a new goalie, things they’ll have to navigate as they face some of the top teams on their schedule.

“It’s tough, but the guys have to stay with them, and be as fast as them,” said Stanton. “It’s a little nerve wracking sometimes, being back there on defense, but you’ve just got to have good confidence, and stay strong doing it.”

Replacing Andrew Beers in goal is one of the biggest question marks facing NEB.

“He was a pretty phenomenal kid, pretty phenomenal player, a very great teammate, and it’s just ridiculously hard to replace good goalies,” said Merritt. “I’ve been blessed to have a few in my career, so I guess it’s just eternal optimism. All the way down to when they were little we found a way to find the next great goalie, so in that particular part of my life I’m just an optimist. I think we have a solution or two, and we’ll go about it from there.”

Up front Ben Ellis and Carson Perkins will be trying to replace the goals that Josh Stanton got last year.

“I’ll just see if I can try to live up to his name,” Perkins said.

Still, they’re optimistic like their coach that they can find the answer.

“I feel if we work hard and we play hard we’ll still be strong,” Ellis said. 

He’s excited to work with Perkins in the attacking half of the field.

“It’s great because I can rely on him,” remarked Ellis. “We grew up playing soccer, so we kind of know how each other rolls.”

Last season it seemed like every 50/50 game went the other way for the Panthers. Finding a way to get those wins will be key if NEB is going to get back to the playoffs.

“I just have to really push through and try our best, and just hope that we have enough player strength and determination to do it,” said Perkins.

The past couple of seasons they’ve gotten into mid-season funks that have kept them from a winning record.

“I guess we have to figure that part out,” Merritt said. “I don’t think it’s my philosophy, I’m not sure it’s anything that we’re doing as a coaching staff. Over the last several years the high school kids have getting in loops, and last year I felt like we aimed our weapon at our own faces for a period of time, and then figured it out at the end.”

The players know they will be tested this year, they just hope they’ll be able to have the answer before it’s too late.

“I think we have a lot of potential this year,” said Perkins. “A lot of good players, and new players seem pretty good.”

ROSTER

Anthony Pousen

Ben Ellis

Brayden Kovacs

Brennin Thoman

Brody Allen

Carson Perkins

Dan Barrett

Eddie Eastman

Eli Stanton

Gavin Puza

James Merritt

Landon Knowels

Lucas Lambert

Maddox Rooker

Malachi Taylor

Papa Puza

Tyler Khun

SCHEDULE

Aug. 24 at Sullivan County, 10 a.m.

Aug. 28 at Athens, 5:30 p.m.

Aug. 31 at Montgomery, noon

Sep. 3 at Williamson, 4 p.m.

Sep. 5 at Troy, 4 p.m.

Sep. 7 vs Elk Lake, 3 p.m.

Sep. 10 vs Galeton, 4 p.m.

Sep. 12 vs Towanda, 4 p.m.

Sep. 18 at Wellsboro, 5:30 p.m.

Sep. 20 vs Millville, 4 p.m.

Sep. 24 at Towanda

Sep. 27 vs Troy, 4 p.m.

sep. 28 at Montoursville, 2 p.m.

Oct. 2 vs Williamson, 4 p.m.

Oct. 4 vs NPL, 4 p.m.

Oct. 8 vs Wellsboro, 4 p.m.

Oct. 10 at Galeton, 5:30 p.m.

Oct. 18 at Blue Ridge, 4 p.m.

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