Girls Soccer Has Experience on Its Side

Perhaps the team with the most anticipated upcoming fall season in Millburn is the girls soccer team. The Lady Millers posted a 17-6 record last year, won their first county title since 2003 and were on the brink on their first sectional championship since 1990 before being derailed in penalty kicks.

"Obviously it's pleasing to come away with a county championship," said Millburn head coach Andy Sones. "I thought we lacked a little bit of depth [last year], which hindered us in the conference."

The Millers return with a team loaded with experience, including nine seniors, many of whom were starters a year ago, and are the favorites in the county and in the Super Essex Conference American Division. If everyone stays healthy, there's no telling just how good this Millburn squad can be.

"I think people are expecting us to be a fairly good team this year. I think people will be defensive against us and I'm hoping that we're better equipped to meet that challenge," Sones said.

The top returnees include keeper Tori Graessle, defenders Tanya Sood, Nikki Willens and Danielle Spinelli, midfielders Emily Beimfohr and forwards Katie Beimfohr and Taylor Perretti.

"This year we definitely have a lot of strength in the center-midfield. We have three really talented midfielders who are strong and skillful," said Beimfohr, who is a co-captain. "Our defense is all seniors again and they're very tight and they know how to work it out from the back. Then we have the forwards who are just always moving and looking for the balls from the midfield and defense always linking up seeing what they can get from each other."

Early last season, the Millers were scoring machines, netting 31 goals in the first seven games. But as their secret got out and as teams realized Millburn was going to be a force to be reckoned with, opponents did a lot less attacking and more defending, which slowed Millburn's scoring.

"I thought that in time our game became a little predictable," Sones said. "We scored a lot of goals at the beginning of the season and found it harder at the end."

By the end of the season, while the Millers kept the pressure on offensively, the inability to finish at the net caused some problems. In their four playoff games last season Millburn managed just five goals during that stretch while out-shooting their opponents 79-21, including a 23-6 advantage in the section final.

"We're taking everything we missed last season and using that to push us and hopefully get us to exactly where we were last year and get us the win we missed last year," Beimfohr said.

After a miraculous come from behind 2-1 win in the county tournament final over Montclair, Millburn enters this season with a giant bull-eye on their backs and as the team everyone will want to beat. Dealing with that early on may be their toughest obstacle.

They open the season with games against West Essex, Nutley, Mt. St. Dominic Academy and Caldwell—teams they combined to defeat 19-0 through the first five games to start last year's run. They won't be catching anyone by surprise this time around.

Sones was hesitant to pick out any goals as far as win totals or reaching a certain stage in either the county or the state tournament. But with practically their whole team returning, it does not seem premature to say the locals will be in a three-team race in the division and county (Livingston and Montclair being the other teams).

As far as the section is concerned, anyone who saw last year's final knows it's a game the Millers could have and maybe should have won. They'll still be one of the top teams in North II Group 3.

While Sones was quick to point out the potential and experience have never won anything, it most certainly does not hurt. Millburn enters this season with a chance to have a very special and perhaps historic year.

"I think there's a lot of potential... At the end of the day, I've had groups before which had potential and have achieved literally nothing," Sones said. "At the end of the day, having potential and realizing it is another. Nothing is given, nothing is assumed, if you don't work hard, you don't win anything."