Haefeli Propelling Montclair in the Spring Season

One of the hot hitters for not only the Montclair softball team, but also in the Super Essex Conference has been Lady Mounties senior centerfielder Sara Haefeli.

Haefeli has helped the Lady Mounties build on the momentum from last year when Montclair made the Group 4 North 1 state sectional finals.

As of Wednesday, Montclair was 12-6 on the season and was ready to take on third-seeded Cedar Grove in the Essex County Tournament quarterfinals on the road on Saturday. The Lady Mounties are looking to dethrone the Lady Panthers who are the defending ECT title holders.

"I think if we play hard and with heart that we can do well," said Haefeli about going far in the ECT and the state tournament.

With the success at Montclair High School, Haefeli said that this group of Mounties have been winners  since they were eight years old with traveling teams like the Magic and the Stars, all having success on the diamond.

As of late last week the senior was hitting .485 while had an on-base percentage of .535. Her hits also have come in the critical extra base variety as 11 of her 17 hits were for extra bases.

And also she has been hitting the ball at crunch time with 17 RBI. Her top game came on April 14 at Verona where she hit for the cycle (a home run, triple, double and single all in one game). She was 4-for-5 in that game with four RBI and three runs scored in the 13-1 victory over the Lady Hillbillies. "I just worked on tweaking my swing and getting it as perfect as possible," said Haefeli about her work in the offseason.

And Montclair head coach Tara Delmour loves Haefeli's tangibles and intangibles for the team. "She is one of our team leaders, a dedicated athlete, and plays hard in every game," said Delmour.

In Haefeli, Delmour and the Montclair coaching staff has penned her in centerfield since she was a freshman.

For this season her along with her twin sister, Laura, the first baseman, have been looked upon for leadership after losing several key players from last season's team. "It has been definitely a new feeling to the team this year," said Haefeli who added that several underclassmen have fielded the roles of the lost graduated seniors nicely. "They have really stepped up and taken up the responsibility."

Despite the new players to the varsity, Sara was assured that the team would continue to progress this season. "We were very confident," said Haefeli. "I knew the girls had a lot of accomplishments and talent. There was no doubt in my mind that we will be good."

Softball is just one of the two sports that she played at Montclair. The other being soccer and she has decided to play soccer at Seton Hall University next fall. "I went back and forth and I just like playing soccer more," said Haefeli. "It was a hard decision to make."

Despite being twins, her twin, Laura, will be attending Syracuse University this fall. "We've played all through middle school and high school together," said Sara. "I think it’s time to go our separate ways. I think it is good to miss each other and see each other during the summer."

In terms of becoming a Lady Pirate, the Montclair senior likes the proximity to home. "I loved the campus and liked the coach of the soccer team," said Sara. "It’s close so my family and friends can come and see me play."