NTL BOYS' SOCCER: NEB HAS HIGH HOPES FOR 2025 SEASON (2025-08-18)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
The past two seasons have seen the NEB boys’ soccer team start slow and end strong, but not strong enough to make districts. They’re hoping to change that this year as they bring back and experienced, and deeper, team.

“We’re still continually growing, even somehow in today’s age when a lot less students are playing any sports,” said Panther coach Scott Merritt. “We’re not a very big school, so the fact that we’ve grown two to three players every year is positive, even wile not winning championships and stuff like that. We should sit 18-22 players, which is nice. It’s a big uptake, and I’m real happy about that.”

This year’s point of emphasis is cleaner play earlier in the season, and try to get a few wins under their belt so they don’t have to rally back the final weeks of the season.

“I’m trying to keep them focuses,” said Merritt. “I’ve been at this a long time, so it’s really about them buying into it to make it work. There’s nothing a coach could actually do to make it happen unless they buy into what you’re staying. They’re a little older - we only lost two seniors - and that means a big return of talent, and incoming talent. I’m more than pleased with the freshmen that are coming in here, and how they’ve been working, and how long they’ve been playing soccer.”

Their biggest returnee is marquee defensive player Eli Stanton, who is not only one of the best defenders in the league but also runs their offsides trap.

“We’re working on moving the ball better, like making smart decisions, and also more communication,” said Stanton. “It’s really important because when we have a good start it usually stays the whole season.”

Running the defense runs in the Stanton family as his older brother Joe was also a center back.

“It’s cool, I like telling the boys what to do, and I enjoy playing with them,” he said.

Nobody is happier to see Stanton back their Merritt.

“In my opinion he’s the best center back in the league, and that’s saying something,” he said. “We’ve had a pretty good group of center backs for quite a few years, but he’s great, and he does a fantastic job of field generalling from the back.”

Tyler Kuhn will be running things in the middle again this season.

“It’s an experience with all the boys,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent. Some are a little rusty, but we’re working on our passes, and then, of course, our shots, and trying to keep possession on the field.”

Kuhn likes being where all the action is.

“I love it,” he said. “It’s a lot of work, but I just enjoy it; I get up and down the field.”

Up front they return striker Carsen Perkins, who, as a senior, will be transitioning into a leadership role.

“I’m trying to just tell people where they need to be, and what they’re doing wrong, and what they can fix and how it can be better,” he said. 

He’s hoping they’ll be able to open up the offense this year.

“We need to do a lot better,” Perkins remarked. “We’re going to try to cross a lot more because we had a problem crossing last year. We couldn’t quite get the ball up in the air that much.”

They all feel they should return to district play this season, and even make some noise in the league.

“There’s a possibility, there’s a lot of talent on the team,” Kuhn said. “Last year we went down by one in a lot of games, I feel like the year we need to stay consistent in our games.”

Merritt believes not being their own worst enemy is key to reaching their goals.


SCHEDULE
Aug. 25 at Elk Lake, 4:15 p.m.
Aug. 27 vs Athens, 4 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs Montgomery, 11 a.m.
Sep. 2 vs Williamson, 4 p.m.
Sep. 4 vs Troy, 4 p.m
Sep. 6 vs Sullivan County, 11 a.m.
Sep. 9 at Galeton, 5:30 p.m.
Sep. 11 at Towanda, 6 p.m.
Sep. 13 at NPL, 10 a.m.
Sep. 17 vs Wellsboro, 4 p.m.
Sep. 20 at Millville, 7 p.m.
Sep. 22 vs S. Williamsport, 4 p.m.
Sep. 24 vs Towanda, 4 p.m.
Sep. 27 at Troy, 1 p.m.
Oct. 1 at Williamson, 4 p.m.
Oct. 3 vs Blue Ridge, 4 p.m.
Oct. 7 at Wellsboro, 5:30 p.m.


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