NTL GIRLS' SOCCER: TOWANDA'S DUNN, NEB'S BEEBE EARN MILESTONES IN 6-1 BLACK KNIGHT WIN (2024-10-09)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
TOWANDA — It was a night of milestones in Towanda as Anna Dunn became the program’s all-time goals scored leader, while NEB’s Leah Beebe recorded her 1,000th save in the Knights’ 6-1 win Wednesday.

Coming into the match Dunn needed one to tie, and two to take the top spot. After a scoreless half and a half Dunn finally found her way through the NEB defense for her first goal. Then, with 14 minutes to play, she snuck one by Beebe on the near post for the school record.

“I was just so proud of myself,” Dunn said about getting her record breaking 80th goal. “I’ve worked hard all four years for this, and I’m just so happy for myself, and proud to be able to hit this milestone.”

Dunn finished with five goals to sit at 83 for her career while Clara Glantz had a goal and an assist for the Knights. Mallorie Maynard scored on a penalty kick for NEB’s goal.

For the first 60 minutes NEB’s defense did a good job forcing Dunn into long shots from well outside the penalty box. A few rockets were well marked but Beebe was able to handle them to keep the game scoreless.

Then, she finally dribbled through the Panther defense into the goalie box for a point blank shot to make it 1-0, and tie the record.

After that she got behind the NEB defense and slipped one just inside the post to get the record.

Maynard would make it 2-1 with 13:08 left to play in the game as Towanda was called for a hand ball in the box.

However, Dunn got that one back with 7:40 left to play and the Knights scored three more after that.

“I think I was more relaxed after I got my two to break the record,” Dunn said. “I settled down a bit. We all started working together more as a team, and I think that’s where it came from.”

Dunn was emotional when she got the record breaker on the squeaker in the near post.

“I think that’s where a lot of the emotion came from because I wasn’t sure if it was going to go in,” remarked Dunn. “When I did it, it was kind of a rush of ‘I did it.’”

Her coach, Jacob McGuire, couldn’t be happier for her, especially to get it at home.

“It’s incredible,” he said. “She works so hard, she’s earned it every step of the way. I’m very proud of her, she definitely earned that record, and she deserves to go down in Towanda history.”

It wasn’t easy to get, though, largely due to Beebe’s performance in net. Despite her diminutive size she played big all night, needing 20 saves to break 1,000.

Her highlight save of the night came just before the half. Dunn hit a hard shot just under the cross-bar, Beebe leaped to block it. It hit her so hard that she was knocked back into the goal, though the ball stayed outside.

“It feels really good,” Beebe said about hitting the milestone. “Earlier this season I found out that I could get it. There was a little pressure, but I just didn’t think about it, and just played hard.”

Beebe started in net her freshman year, and, despite a couple times out in the field, has largely manned the line, though this isn’t the type of milestone the junior ever thought she would get. Still, she wasn’t going to let the opportunity go to waste.

“I was thinking don’t let any goals in,” she said. 

NEB’s season ended on Wednesday, and went 2-14-2 on the year. Beebe will now be turning her attention to hoops, but feels this soccer season was a good jumping off point.

“It gets me pumped up and ready,” she remarked.

Towanda (7-8) has two games left on the schedule, both home, as they host Wellsboro Friday and Milton next week. They need to win both to sneak into districts, quite a feat considering they started the season 0-4.

“We’re gritty, we’re scrappy,” MaGuire said about his team. “I can’t say enough good things about us, a 13-player team. We’ve played some games with no subs at all, and they never complain. They hang in there, we don’t make excuses, we just play tough.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: Towanda’s Anna Dunn celebrates with her team after breaking the school record…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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