Lady Mounties Soccer Ready For Big Season

Some might have called the 2010 girls soccer season a disappointment—but not head coach Chris Johnson.

Montclair finished with a 12-6 record and lost one of their top players in Sara Haefeli, but the Lady Mounties bring back a good chunk of a team that was just a goal from another Essex County championship.

"I disagree ... I thought we had an outstanding season," said Johnson. 'We just had a bad week. For anybody who says it was disappointment, I would have to disagree with them."

Near the end of the season and the state tournament game with Clifton, the Lady Mounties were hit hard by injuries and then lost a heartbreaking state game at home to Clifton.

For this season Johnson and Montclair are looking again to get back to the county final where they have won 10 of the last 15 EC titles. The Lady Mounties could face Livingston again in the county final where Montclair dropped a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Lady Lancers in the ECT 2010 championship game in overtime.

In addition he hopes to make a better run after falling in a controversial 2-1 loss to Clifton in the Group 4 North 1 quarterfinal.

"We're looking to make a stronger showing in the states and win the state sectional title," said Johnson. "We have extremely high aspirations and return to the county final."

Leading the way for the 2011 Montclair girls soccer team are their two co-captains: senior forward Maya Pitts and senior sweeper Erika Joab.

Pitts was the leading scorer last season for the Mounties with 15 goals and has agreed to play at Syracuse University while Joab was first team All Essex County and will play at the University of Maryland.

"They've had an amazing four years and you get use to writing their name in the lineup," said Johnson."They are strong leaders and have been to three county finals."

And for Pitts, Johnson sees plenty more in 2011. "She's one of the top forwards in North Jersey," said Johnson. "We're expecting a great deal from her this season."

After the first 10 days of practice, Johnson likes his two goalies including returning starter Sarah Sivinski, who had nine shutouts last season, as well as Sophia Lattanzio.

"We have two quality goalies and I like what we have there," said Johnson. "She'll (Sivinski) will get the first shot, but our credo is to have the best 11 on the field."

In the midfield Johnson has several quality players who would lead at center mid. The Snyder sisters were injured last spring—junior Hayley with a wrist injury and sophomore Maddie with a shoulder injury, but they both had surgery and are 100 percent healthy for the midfield. The other midfielders returning are senior Kara McGuire and junior Angel Hart.

Along with Joab on defense, there are some quality defenders coming back in junior Deja Davis, junior Kaila Jenkins, and sophomore Annie Monaghan, who started as a freshman.

While there is always the talk of the county and the state tournament, there is the Super Essex Conference American division possibly one of the toughest in the state. The Lady Mounties won the first season of the SEC two years ago. "It is a tough and challenging league, but that is what makes it fun," said Johnson.

Montclair again will be vying against the likes of Livingston and Millburn to take the league championship. Those two are also expected to be in the running for the county title. And the Lady Mounties will know where they stand right off the bat as they travel to Millburn in their season opener on Saturday, Sept. 10 (2 p.m.) and Monday, Sept. 17 at Livingston (7 p.m.).

But Montclair knows that how the team fares in the county tournament and in November will tell the tale for 2011.

Montclair 2011 girls soccer schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)

Sept. 10         at Millburn, 2 p.m.
Sept. 12         at Livingston, 7 p.m.
Sept. 14         Columbia
Sept. 16         Nutley
Sept. 19         Peddle School, 4:15 p.m.
Sept. 21         at West Essex
Sept. 23         Glen Ridge
Sept. 25         at Morris Catholic, 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 26         at Caldwell
Oct. 1             Millburn, 2 p.m.
Oct. 4             Livingston
Oct. 6             at Columbia
Oct. 11           at Nutley
Oct. 12           at Mt. St. Dominic
Oct. 14           at Mansquan
Oct. 18           West Essex
Oct. 20           at Glen Ridge
Oct. 25           Caldwell