MONTCLAIR- As she closes in on her 450th career victory in her 31st season at the helm, longtime Montclair coach Mary Pat Mercuro continues to enjoy the day-to-day process of directing one of New Jersey’s most consistent field hockey programs.
The Mounties (9-1), who are ranked 14th in the latest nj.com statewide Top 20, have a solid mix of youth and experience which is blending very well for the perennial Group 4 state tournament title contender and frequent finalist in the Essex County Tournament which is looking to continue to impact through October and into early November as the 2024 fall campaign reaches its most pivotal matches.
The Mounties dropped an early-season game to No. 2 ranked Oak Knoll (6-3-1), but have also posted noteworthy victories, including 6-1 over Chatham and an exciting 2-1 overtime triumph vs. strong neighborhood rival Montclair Kimberley Academy this past Monday (Sept. 30), at Muenster Field.
Still on the horizon for perhaps more than one game this season is perennial Essex County foe, No. 1 ranked West Essex (10-1), who Montclair will host on Wednesday, Oct. 16, at Watchung Field, and then the two longtime Essex titans could wind up seeing each other once again in the ECT final which is scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Lady Knights’ home surface of Travis Field in North Caldwell.
The ECT will assemble its 2024 field on Wednesday, Oct. 9, with preliminary round action commencing on Oct. 17, the first round Oct. 19, quarterfinals Oct. 21, and semis Oct. 23, all at the higher-seeded team’s home field.
Livingston (9-1) and MKA (7-3) are among the other top teams to watch in in the 2024 ECT field. Coach Lila Alfaro’s Lancers own a 3-1 regular season win over the Cougars.
MKA, which also annually contends for the prep B Tournament championship, was able to hang tough throughout its match vs. township rival Montclair in this past Monday’s regular season showdown.
Junior forward Addie Goldstein, with an assist from senior Samantha Siter, had a first half goal for MKA, while the Mounties earned the victory with a pair of goals from veteran senior Eliza Larson.
Mercuro coached MKA’s veteran head coach Injoo Han when the latter was a standout scholastic player at Montclair High.
“We have such a great rivalry with MKA, and I have a ton of respect for their players and outstanding coaching staff,” said Mercuro, who will enter Saturday’s (Oct. 5) home game vs. Verona (10 a.m.) with 446 career victories. “And, we always seem to play very close games against them.”
Superb talent runs through the Mounties’ lineup which has five players who have scored five or more goals through the first 10 games, and also a sturdy back line that does a terrific job of containing the opposition’s forward line.
“We’ve been fortunate to have a tremendous group of girls throughout all my years at Montclair, and this season is no exception,” said Mercuro, a former standout all-around athlete at Columbia High School, and a college basketball player at both Marist and Montclair State. “There are some very talented players on our team this fall, and several of them have already been through many big games with us, and on the club field hockey scene as well.” |
