IAC GIRLS SOCCER: HOWEY QUIETLY BECOMES TIOGA'S ALL-TIME LEADING GOAL-SCORER (October 19, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — Sophomore Grace Howey quietly became not only the girls all-time leading goal scorer early in the 2026 season at Tioga, but also broke the overall school record for goals recently.

Howey broke the girls' record of 53, set by Sophia Haney last year, with her second of three goals in a 3-2 win over Dryden on Sept. 15.

Tyler Roe's school record of 65 goals, set in 2023, fell the by the wayside on Oct. 7 in a win over Newfield. Howey's second goal in a hat trick was the milestone goal.

Howey added four goals in a win over Newark Valley last Tuesday and currently has 71.

"There is no one more deserving of this accomplishment," said Tioga coach Emily Potter, who is out on maternity leave this season.

"Grace strives for success day-in and day-out," noted Potter. "Her knowledge of the game is outstanding. 

"Grace is the type of player who struggles at times to be selfish to score the goals and would rather give her teammates the opportunity," said Potter. "The success she has had thus far to be where she is at while being able to dish to her teammates is very well earned at just her sophomore year. 

"This is amazing," she continued. "It shows the true dedication that she has toward the game, toward herself, her teammates and the Tioga jersey that she wears. 

"I am both proud and honored of this young lady for her accomplishment as well as being able to say I have coached her," added Potter. "Grace has two more years to add onto this wonderful accomplishment and set the bar high."

Interim coach Jim Walsh, who also coached Howey during her first varsity season as a 7th-grader before "turning the reigns" over to Potter, said Howey's record will be difficult to break.

"I checked back on the records and saw that her school goal-scoring record quest started very early, on Sept. 8, 2023 to be exact," said Walsh. "In game one of the Greene Tournament, she scored her first varsity goal just 3 1/2 minutes into the game against Newark Valley and then scored two more goals to make it what is now a common occurrence for her, a hat trick.  

"We won the tournament thanks largely to her and the player she just surpassed in goals, Sophia Haney," noted Walsh. "Grace easily made first-team tournament forward, and went on that season to be selected as first-team IAC division all-star, and later was awarded as one of Valley Sports Report's Girls Super Seven "Newcomers of the Fall," again, as a 7th grader. 

"The rest is, as they say, is history, but as only a sophomore she is not quite finished," said Walsh. "If she continues on her current scoring blitz, that record will stand for a long, long time.

"I don't know what current Section IV or NYSPHSAA goal-scoring records are, but that could be her next destination in the record books," he added.

Walsh said he still watches Howey in awe of her play. 

"Wherever she is on the field of play, you just sit back and watch her in utter amazement, whether just moving, tackling, dribbling, passing, but especially when she speed dribbles down the field past multiple defenders and then fires a blistering razor-sharp pinpoint shot on goal," he said. 

"Grace is pure soccer player, but also just a very pleasant, nice, and well-mannered student-athlete to boot," added Walsh.

Tioga resumes play Tuesday in the opening round of the Section IV, Class C playoffs.

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IN PHOTO: Tioga's Grace Howey. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.

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