Athlete Spotlight: Ben Middlemiss, Mounties senior, soccer

by Andrew Garda

garda@montclairlocal.news

Fresh off a big win over Seton Hall Prep, the Montclair Mounties boys soccer team is off to a great start.

One win isn’t enough for them though, nor for their goaltender, senior Ben Middlemiss.

“I think the biggest thing for this team is a championship, because we came so close last year with Kearny,” he said before a recent practice.  “So we just want to take that extra step.”

To do that, they will need their goalie to be on point in net. Middlemiss made some great saves during the win over SHP, and showed mental toughness in overcoming letting a goal in during the second half.

“I don’t think anyone saw it, but the corner after they scored I went and punched the post,” Middlemiss said. “That’s how I get my anger out. I didn’t punch it hard enough to hurt myself. That’s usually how I do it.”

On a more serious note, Middlemiss said the key to overcoming disappointment is to quickly put it in the past, whether during regulation or overtime.

“You have to approach it as just keeping your head. Yeah, it happened, but it’s in the past let’s move on,” he said, adding that approach for the team has to be the same, especially after a big win. Keep your heads, and move to the next challenge.

Middlemiss took a few minutes to let us get to know him better by answering a few questions for this week’s Athlete Spotlight:

Have you decided on colleges?

I’ve got a few. The top three as of now are like Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Alfred University and Rochester Institute of Technology. There are a couple of other schools, like Stevens as well and Northeastern, but not really as much anymore. Rowan too.

Do you have a major in mind?

Engineering. [Probably] Mechanical, but it also depends on what school I go to. If I go to Alfred, I’ll do ceramic, because they’ve got the best one in the country.

What’s ceramic engineering?

Basically, you make glass and stuff. The guys who invented fiber optics went to Alfred. Some guys on the team who designed the heat shielding tiles on the space shuttle went to Alfred. Small school, but a big name.

What do you do for fun?

My life right now is kind of school. Other than that, it’s soccer and video games. Pretty much like every other teenage boy.

What game are you playing now?

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on the Playstation.

What are your soccer goals for this year?

Obviously win championships, but also help people grow as a player and person.