Soccer: MHS Mounties muscle past MKA Cougars in 1-0 victory—Rapid Reaction

by Andrew Garda

garda@montclairlocal.news

The Montclair High School girls soccer team welcomed their opposite number at Montclair Kimberley Academy to Fortunato Field Thursday afternoon, edging their crosstown rivals, 1-0.

In a game which saw more than it's fair share of back and forth, as well as very physical play, it was a mob scene of chaos which produced the lone goal of the day, scored by junior forward Maddie Adams-Gurowitz with just over 21 minutes remaining in the game.

During the play, the ball was sent into the Cougars' box, where multiple players of both teams—including MKA keeper Arianna Jobst—struggled to control it. While it appeared the ball may have made contact with one player's hand, it was unclear from the sideline for sure that it had, and if it did, whose hand it was.

It doesn't really matter, as the referee didn't make a call and the ball found it's way to Adams-Gurowitz's foot and then into the net.

It was the one save Jobst couldn't make on a day when she had seen a dozen other shots sent her way, deflecting them all with the occasional help of a crossbar or post.

That shot total is reflective of a first half which was all MHS, as the Mounties flew into Cougars territory repeatedly, firing shot after shot towards the MKA net. Jobst did an excellent job of keeping the ball out of it, and made several key saves which kept her team in the game when they weren't able to penetrate the Mounties' end at all.

After halftime, the Cougars turned the tables on the Mounties, and began to find ways to attack their end of the field. The MHS defenders, led as always by senior middle defender Nora Giordano, repelled each foray into their end, but it felt like only a matter of time before the Cougars would find the net.

It wasn't meant to be, though, as Adams-Gurowitz's score turned the momentum again and the Mounties were able to hold off the determined Cougars to raise their record to 4-0, while MKA falls to 3-1-1.

For a complete breakdown of the game, including quotes from both players and coaches, check out the September 21 edition of the Montclair Local and check back at this site.