The Montclair boys lacrosse team worked hard against one of the toughest schedules in the state to get results.
But Mounties head coach Mike Diehl admitted he did not like the final mark of 8-12.
If you look at Montclair’s schedule, you will find how arduous it was this spring with eight teams that reached group finals, including the finalists in the largest divisions, Group 4 and Non-Public A.
“No, I was not happy with the final record, however, I was happy with our players welcoming the challenge of one of the toughest schedules in the state and figuring it out toward the end in some of our final games,” Montclair head coach Mike Diehl said.
Diehl and the Mounties set high standards, including goals of Essex County and state titles, but he added those returning will take the lessons into 2024.
“There were many lessons learned this past season that will benefit us next spring,” the Montclair head coach said.
Montclair was playing its best games near the end of the season, including upsetting Hunterdon Central, 9-8, in the North Group 4 quarterfinals on May 31.
“Our team showed great character and resiliency being down 8-5 during the third quarter and coming back to win 9-8 on the road,” Diehl said.
One area the Mounties head coach will have to address is scoring because of the graduation of Luca Ward, who was All New Jersey Group 4 first team, NJILL Fitch Pitt first team and All Super Essex Conference American first team while setting the Montclair single-season record for goals with 62.
“Luca played with a chip on his shoulder and a ton of confidence,” Diehl said of Ward, who will be playing at College of Holy Cross (Worcester, MA) next spring. “He worked very hard in the weightroom all off season and not only became a fantastic lacrosse player but also athlete, which is a lethal combination.”
One possible player who might pick up some of the slack next season is junior Drew Pfeifer, who had 31 goals and 15 assists. Pfeifer joined Ward on the All-SEC American first team while placing on the All-New Jersey Group 4 third team and the NJILL Fitch-Pitt second team.
“He is a great two-way, two-handed midfielder with a very hard shot,” Diehl said. “He had a great second half of the year for us and will continue to develop throughout the off season leading into next spring.”
Along with Ward, the Mounties will have to replace another top midfielder, senior Ian Muchineuta, who was named to the All-SEC American second team as well as placed on both the NJILL Fitch-Pitt and All New Jersey Group 4 honorable mention lists.
“He was a great two-way midfielder for us and had many responsibilities on the field,” Diehl of Muchineuta, who will play at Wagner College on Staten Island. “Faceoff and wing responsibilities too. (He) did a lot of the dirty work, ground balls, great defense, getting up and down the field and a very versatile player.”
Two other juniors Diehl will have back to make another run to reach the goals in the county and state tournaments are Gabe Epstein and Liam Tracy.
Epstein was one of the top defenders in the county and was named to the second team in the All-American division as well as All Fitch-Pitt second team and the All New Jersey third team.
“Gabe had the responsibility of covering our opponent’s best offensive player throughout the whole year,” the Montclair head coach said. “He was also involved in many faceoff responsibilities. Another very versatile player. He has gained a lot of valuable experience that will lead him into having a breakout year next year.”
Tracy was another top defender in the county and pegged for the All-American honorable mention list as he played both long stick midfielder and close defense.
“Liam did an excellent job on ground balls in the middle of the field and off of faceoffs,” Diehl said. “He also does a great job pressuring the ball and has developed a knack for taking the ball away from his opponent fairly easily.”