The annual Montclair and Montclair Kimberley girls lacrosse battle Saturday might be the first of a pair of contests this season. There is a chance the rival schools could face each in the Essex County Tournament and even the title match.
The Mounties (5-4) lost to West Essex in the 2023 ECT final. Montclair Kimberley (8-0) lost in the county quarterfinals last season. The Cougars are coming off winning the Non-Public B state title and are undefeated as of Thursday (April 25).
And there is an added incentive on Saturday for Montclair to end a five-match winning streak by Montclair Kimberley. There is a good chance that the April 27th game between the two clubs will be close. Three of the last five matches in the rivalry have been by only one goal. The Mounties last defeated the Cougars in 2013. In terms of the county tournament, the last time the two teams faced each other was in the 2019 ECT semifinals that was won by MKA, 7-6. The Cougars would go on to lose to Glen Ridge in that ECT final.
Montclair Girls Lacrosse Day
The Montclair-Montclair Kimberley grudge match on Saturday (1 p.m.) is also part of the first Montclair Girls Lacrosse Day at Woodman Field. The high school varsity match is dubbed the Battle of Montclair.
“This event is all about getting the community involved and enjoying a great day of lacrosse,” said Montclair head coach Kim Depaolera. “Whether you’re a player, parent, or supporter, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
“Montclair is always a big match up for us, no matter what the circumstances are,” said Goss. “A lot of our team grew up in Montclair playing youth lacrosse. They know a lot of girls on the Montclair High School team. This game is always super important to them. The Montclair High School coach (Depaolera) is also a good friend of mine and my teammate from college. We are both excited for a fun day of Montclair Lacrosse.”
Big Day, Big Match
Montclair Kimberley head coach Chelsea Goss is always looking forward to the game against Montclair especially since both her and Depaolera were teammates at Rutgers University.
Montclair’s expectations for the county tournament received a jolt when the Mounties avenged their loss to West Essex this season in the 11-7 win on April 18. “In regards to West Essex, it’s a huge win for us,” said Depaolera. “We’ve wanted this for a while now and it meant a lot to the girls. Their confidence has gotten a lot stronger not just with this win but with the wins we’ve had prior. We’re focusing on confidence in practice as well.”
Goss is not ‘surprised’ by MKA’s start this season. She also knows there are plenty of challenges ahead including against Montclair. “I have a team of really hard-working athletes,” said Goss. “I am not sure I necessarily anticipated being undefeated. I know the team is more than capable of beating anyone we play. We still have a lot to work on. We have had to climb out of holes in almost every single game so far. That’s something we are working on fixing.”
A Huge Win
While Montclair is just one game over .500 this season, three of the defeats came against teams that are considered in the top 10 in New Jersey. “We’ve been practicing as if every day were game day,” said Depaolera. “That’s been a huge difference maker in how we’re performing. Because we are driven every day to compete and get better, it translates on the field.”
In addition, the Mounties have won five out of their seven games heading into the battle with Montclair Kimberley. “We are dialed in,” said Depaolera. “We have a mission to get better each day and we’re really focusing on being where our feet are.”
While Depaolera and Montclair are looking forward to the county tournament, the Mounties are just trying to stay in the moment. “It’s helped us tremendously in regard to staying grounded and focused,” said the Montclair head coach. “When we put too much emphasis on one specific game or our county run, it becomes all we think about. So, we’re just trying to take it day by day and enjoy each moment we have together.”
Saturday’s game between the two teams will have Montclair’s explosive trio of junior Olivia Nicoll, senior Liz Giordano and junior Aven Hodgson with 33, 23 and 21 goals respectively against Montclair Kimberley’s balanced offense that had four players with double-digit goals led by senior Aeryn Curren with 22. The Murphy sisters, Shea and Maggie Murphy have contributed 15 and 11 goals respectively, Senior Maddie Polanskyj has chipped in a dozen goals.
Players to Watch
“The keys have been our ability to not let mistakes early in our games determine the rest of the game,” said Goss. “We have been able to make changes and adjust our play during games when things aren’t going our way. Another key is the balance we have on our team this year. A lot of players will step up in different moments and it helps us to be a more well-rounded team.”
Montclair Kimberley has an experience in goal advantage with senior Orly Sedransk. And Montclair sophomore Sefina Morrison is in her first season as full-time varsity keeper after replacing graduated senior Talia Cohen-Vigder. Montclair’s Morrison is helped in the back by the return of senior Hannah Saraisky. MKA’s Goss has also been impressed with the influx of freshmen this season. These include Payton Sullivan, Caroline Cuneo, and Bebe Scuorzo. A pair of freshmen showing promise are Delilah Nicoll and Keira Griswold, who has 11 goals so far this season.
Along with the match at 1 p.m. the Montclair Girls Lacrosse Day will include several different activities. These include morning clinics for girls’ kindergarten through sixth grade, music, concessions, a raffle, merchandise for purchase as well as a middle school scrimmage starting at 3 p.m.
Montclair Girls Lacrosse Schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. unless noted)
April 27 Montclair Kimberley, 1 p.m.
May 3 at Verona
May 10 Caldwell
May 11 at Westwood, 1 p.m.
May 14 at Summit, 4:30 p.m.
May 16 at Westfield, 4:30 p.m.
Montclair Kimberley Girls Lacrosse Schedule
(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)
April 27 at Montclair, 1 p.m.
April 30 Millburn
May 1 at New Providence
May 13 at Columbia, 4:15 p.m.
May 15 at Caldwell
May 18 Northern Highlands, 11 a.m.
May 21 Sparta