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Beinlich’s PK goal lifts the Griffins past Muncy

MUNCY — Once she lined up for her penalty kick, it didn’t take Bethany Beinlich long to ponder where she was going to send her shot. A quick little stutter step and Beinlich drilled her shot to the left post, sneaking it just inside the post past the outreached arms of Muncy goalie Makenna Snyder.

There still was plenty of time remaining in the game –nearly 29 minutes — but Beinlich’s goal gave Sullivan County the lead against over Muncy and seemed to take some of the wind out of Muncy’s sails.

While there was plenty of time remaining, Muncy couldn’t score another goal as Sullivan County defeated Muncy, 2-1, in a Mid-Penn league game.

The win clinched a District 4 playoff berth for Sullivan County.

“Obviously it was last goal that was scored, put us in the lead, which was excellent. Conversion is always risky, but we managed to do that and that was great,” Sullivan County coach Pete Swinick said.

“I think once the PK went in they were just a little timid, I don’t know if there was really much of a recovery from that at midfield. We were struggling a little bit to get up,” Muncy coach Kyle Bowen said. “I wish I had answers, I do. But it just seemed like our midfield struggled to get up.”

Muncy struggled getting chances in the second half, only putting one shot on goal in the final 40 minutes as Sullivan County kept pressure on Muncy. The Griffins ended with a 14-3 shots on goal advantage and fired seven shots on goal in each half as the duo of Beilich and senior Macy McCarthy routinely tested Muncy senior goalie Makenna Snyder.

“She’s a freshman, lots of speed, very goal oriented. Has a lot of potential to improve the team which is why we start her,” Swinick said of Beinlich. “The defense plays their hearts out.”

Snyder came up big routinely for Muncy throughout the game. Twice in the game Sullivan County tried to drill a shot to the upper 90, only to see Snyder use her height to prevent a great goal. She also constantly was catching tough shots sent right at her.

“When we played East Juniata, she started playing really strong and honestly, Makenna has been playing phenomenal since then,” Bowen said. “Great goalkeeper, I don’t know what I’d do without her. Stinks she’s a senior, but it’s good to have her in the back for sure.”

Sullivan County scored its first goal roughly five minutes into the game. Beinlich chased down a ball to infront of Snyder and managed to tap it right past her for the early 1-0 lead over Muncy.

The Indians kept battling in the first half to net an equalizer, and did so just three minutes later.

Bailey Bowen sent a ball from about midfield down to Ashlynn Fowler, who took it to about seven yards out and fired a great shot to the left post for the game-tying goal to make it a 1-1 game with 31:12 to play in the first half.

Muncy had a great chance to take a lead with 18:20 to play in the first half when Aleaha Bigelow took a pass down to Sullivan’s end and fired a great shot inside of the 18. While Sullivan County goalie McKenna Amer did dive and get her fingers on it to stop the shot, it slowly started rolling toward the far post and back, but Sullivan County quickly got a defender to clear it at the last moment before it would have rolled in for a goal.

Bigelow had another chance with 10:30 to play, sending a shot from about 12 yards out, but Amer managed to stop it to keep it a tied game.

After getting a handful of chances and looks from inside of the 18 in the first half, Muncy only had two shots from inside the 18 in the second half, and both went just wide to the left of the goal.

McCarthy had a handful of shots in the second half, but wasn’t quite able to convert any for a goal against Muncy.

Sullivan 2, Muncy 1

SC–Bethany Beinlich, 34:49. M–Ashlynn Fowler (Bailey Bowen), 31:12. SC–Beinlich (penalty kick), 28:54.

Shots: SC 14, M 3. Corners: SC 9, M 4. Saves: SC (McKenna Amer) 3, M (Makenna Snyder) 12.

Records: Sullivan (9-2), Muncy (7-6).

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