CULLOWHEE, N.C. (Oct. 1, 2026) - Beck was center stage in Cullowhee on Thursday night and produced a sea change in the rivalry between ETSU and Western Carolina.
Alex Beck scored her first collegiate brace and Natalie Capannelli converted a penalty kick to secure a 3-1 win for the ETSU women's soccer team and an unprecedented 4-0-0 start to SoCon play. The Buccaneers (7-3-1, 4-0-0) beat WCU for the first time since October 22, 2023, and the first time in Cullowhee since September 28, 2018.
The Bucs were on the back foot early, but the defense kept things routine for Addison Yelton until late in the opening session. In the 39th minute, a clearance attempt headed backwards landed at the feet of Mackenzie Megill who fired a half-volley that arched just under the crossbar and out of the reach of Yelton to put the Catamounts (3-7-2, 1-2-1) in front.
The home side led for 93 seconds.
Pressure from Beck forced a corner kick, where Ava Flanary just missed the lurking Beck on a near post header and produced a second corner. On her next attempt, Flanary served the ball up to the back post, where Beck rose above two defenders and flicked a header off the inside of the post for her second goal of the season and ETSU's first goal in Cullowhee since their 2018 win. Flanary's assist was her first collegiate point.
The game flipped on its head in the 58th minute, when Reagan Fitzgerald was clipped on the left leg at the knee by WCU's Alexandra Grammenopoulos inside the 18-yard box. Cpannelli was called upon to take the ensuing penalty and blasted it chest-high to the goalkeeper's left for her second goal in as many games.
Beck delivered the knockout punch less than two minutes later. Fitzgerald chested down an throw in and slipped the ball out to Jada Cooper down the right wing. Cooper played a give-and-go back to Fitzgerald, who served up an aerial pass to the top of the six-yard box, where Beck stuck out her right boot and steered it home 19 seconds shy of the hour mark to lift ETSU beyond reach.
The Bucs were outshot by the Catamounts 17-16Â but won shots on goal 8-4. Beck and Capannelli led ETSU with four shots apiece, and Beck had three shots on goal. Fitzgerald's goal scoring streak was snapped at four games, but her point scoring streak extended to five games with an assist on Beck's second goal. Yelton made one save in collecting her 15th goalkeeper win at ETSU, tying Megan Masch for fifth on the all-time list.
ETSU's 4-0-0 start to SoCon play is matched only by a 4-0-0 start in the Atlantic Sun in 2011, a team which won its first six conference matches, finished 7-1-1 and won the regular season title. It also marks the first time since 2011-12 that ETSU has had winning streaks of four or more games in consecutive seasons, having rattled off six straight wins as part of a program record 12-game unbeaten streak in 2025.
The Bucs will look for more history when they host the Samford Bulldogs on Sunday at 1 p.m., aiming for their first win over Samford in 12 years. Admission is free at Summers-Taylor Stadium.
For more information on ETSU women's soccer, go to ETSUBucs.com.
