The Montclair Kimberley boys lacrosse record for 2023 shows five victories, but that does not tell the whole story of what the Cougars faced this spring.
Montclair Kimberley (5-13) took on 10 of their 18 contests against teams that were .500 or better and the schedule included three teams that reached a group final and two that won group titles in Ridgewood and Gill St. Bernard’s.
“The Cougars did an excellent job of persevering and staying together through a difficult Waterman schedule,” MKA head coach David Giarrusso said. “Teams are supposed to be supportive environments where players can get support while they are challenged by their competition. That is exactly what we had. The senior leadership kept these kids together while they took on some of the top teams in the state.”Â
The Waterman division is one of the toughest divisions in the North Jersey Interscholastic Lacrosse League (NJILL) as MKA faced the likes of Pope John, Randolph and Bernards.Â
This spring the Cougars had only five seniors and five juniors with the rest being sophomores and freshmen. In lacrosse, Giarrusso said, it’s difficult for freshmen and sophomores to be physical against teams who are senior-oriented.
“In our Waterman Conference, it is very difficult for sophomores to succeed physically, never mind freshmen,” Giarrusso said. “But they competed in every game, and we left the field having given our best effort while always supporting each other.”
The Montclair Kimberley head coach points to the team’s potential in an 11-7 defeat at home to Ridgewood, which would go on to win the Group 4 state title and was considered the top team in New Jersey.
“Being down by one at half (4-3) and losing 11-7, we competed at every position,” Giarrusso said of the defeat to Ridgewood.
For the entire package, the MKA head coach mentioned a 12-4 victory at Verona on April 8. The Cougars put it all together, from offense to defense to goaltending from the opening faceoff. MKA was ahead 2-0 after the first quarter and then 8-2 at halftime and never looked back. Seven different Montclair Kimberley players scored, led by junior Jack MacEvoy with four goals. In his debut season in the nets, freshman Simon Hardiman made 17 saves for the victory over the Hillbillies.
For the season senior Jordan Fishback had top honors, being named to the All-Super Essex Conference Liberty Division first team and the NJILL Waterman Division second team. Cougars senior midfielder Charlie Kenrick collected a Waterman Division second team honor. Along with Fishback, senior attacker Evan Grossman and freshman goalie Simon Hardiman were also part of the All Liberty first team.Â
MKA junior attacker Nick Snyder, the team’s leading goal scorer, was placed on the All Liberty second team and the All-Waterman honorable mention list. In addition, sophomore attacker Henry McCann was placed on the All Liberty second team and freshman midfielder Noah Rodgers was named to the All-Liberty honorable mention list.
Fishback was one of the leaders in ground balls with 76. He heads to Oberlin College in Ohio to play both football and lacrosse.
“Jordan was a great three-year defenseman, a great leader, who covered the top opponent while also organizing the defense,” Giarrusso said.
On the other side of the field, Snyder was the team’s top-scoring threat and registered 29 goals along with 16 assists.
“Nick is a smooth off ball player who has great dodges and vision with the ball,” the MKA head coach said. “He once again put the ball in the back of the net, and we are excited for him this summer as he goes through the recruiting process with some of the best academic lacrosse schools in the country.”
Like Snyder, Grossman was one of the top scorers for the Cougars with 25 goals and 17 assists, but it was his intangibles that placed him on the Liberty first team.
“Evan was a great team builder and culture guy for us this year, organizing out-of-practice events to get the team together,” Giarrusso said. “He cared about everyone on that team like a brother and it showed how he treated them. His time and room shot was one of the best around in Essex County.”
The youth of McCann, Rodgers and freshman Simon Hardiman illustrates the future of the Cougars.
Hardiman had big shoes to fill in the nets with the graduation of Jake Pryor, one of the top goalies in the county. Hardiman averaged a dozen saves per game with 207 saves for the season as a freshman.
“Simon was a great spark for us all year, as a freshman we knew he had potential, but his play this year was beyond his years in technique and maturity,” the MKA head coach said. “He gave his team confidence with great saves and became a great leader of the players in front of him. He has a bright future in lacrosse.”
McCann’s 27 goals were second only to Snyder on the team.Â
“Henry became our main dodger out of the attack as a sophomore, his imposing frame and stick handles had him getting covered by the top defensemen, often seniors,” Giarrusso said. “Henry quickly learned how to compete at a high level. We are excited to have him as an off-season captain to get us ready for the 2024 year.”
Rodgers was the MKA rookie of the year for his play in the midfield right from the start of the spring season.
“He stepped right into a starting role at midfield and became one of top offensive threats from the midfield position,” the MKA head coach said. “His competitiveness matches his work ethic, two great combinations for future success. He will continue to put up great numbers the next three years.”
With the bulk of their players returning for 2024, Montclair Kimberley should see its victory total increase along with a shot at some hardware in either the Prep B or state tournaments.