Brooke Beam put up some pretty impressive numbers in her four seasons on the Indian River High girls’ soccer team.
The recent IR grad finished with 109 goals and 45 assists.
But perhaps Beam’s most telling statistics were that the Indians went 57-15 with back-to-back trips to the DIAA Division II state finals during her career.
All those numbers added up to Beam being ranked as the No. 2 girls’ soccer player in the state this year by the Delaware’s coaches association.
Only Padua senior Mackenzie Scully, the state Player of the Year, was rated ahead of Beam on the First XI, which tops the girls’ soccer All-State squad.
Three Henlopen Conference players were ranked among the top 11, with Beam joined on the team by Caesar Rodney’s Aleya Cummings and Dover’s Katie Ford.
Padua, which won its fifth straight Division I state title, had four selections on the Top XI.
As a senior, Beam tallied 27 goals and 19 assists for the Indians, who went 16-3. She was named the state’s Player of the Year by Gatorade.
Of IR’s 15 losses during Beam’s career, six were against perennial Division I state power CR with four more coming to Division II state champion Caravel.
She has received a scholarship to Richmond, where she’ll continue her career in the fall.
“Brooke has been a go-to player all four years of her varsity career at Indian River,” said Indians coach Steve Kilby. “We will be hard pressed to replace her game-changing abilities, finishing and distribution skills on the field.
“Brooke has been a selfless leader at IR and has led by example constantly.”
Like Beam, CR’s Cummings — who was ranked third in the state — had a big impact on the Riders’ success during her career.
In her four seasons, CR went 63-10-1, reaching the Division I finals three times and making the semifinals in her freshman year. Of those 10 losses, seven were against Padua.
In a career in which she netted 112 goals and 47 assists, Cummings was at her best as a senior when she scored a state-record 51 goals to go along with 10 assists. She’s headed for Wesley College in the fall.
“She got better each season,” said Riders coach Darrell Gravatt. “This season was her best. I thought she was the best dribbler, one-v-one, in the state. Aleya meant a lot to the program.
“She helped our team win the Henlopen Conference the last two seasons and get to the state finals the last three years in a row. Her play was instrumental to that success. She was a leader on and off the pitch. She is an excellent student and a superb role model for other student-athletes to emulate.”
Rated seventh in the state, Ford was also a big scorer for Dover, which qualified for the Division I state tournament. The senior netted 37 of the Senators’ 52 goals this spring and was second on the team in assists.
Ford will join Cummings at Wesley College this fall.
“Tireless worker with great speed and a nose for the goal,” said Dover coach Paul Booton. “She is blessed with a tremendous shot and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.”