As the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) season comes to a close, another one opens as the playoffs are set to begin this weekend.
Montclair State University’s women’s soccer team looks to continue their swift momentum into the playoffs, ending their season with five wins out of six in the NJAC.
The team is still undefeated at home with their only two conference losses coming from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and Rowan, who sit number one and two in the standings. Every other conference team is below them in the table, and the Red Hawks have beaten all of them.
Montclair State is the #3 seed in the NJAC Tournament.
Courtesy of Matt DeLuca Photo credit: Matt DeLuca
Looking back to last season, the team ended up getting the number three seed just as they did this year and ironically, the same teams are at number one and two seeds as well. They played the Stockton University Ospreys at home and won 3-2 and ended up going on the road in round two, eventually losing to the champions TCNJ, 2-1.
Turning the tables back to this season, Montclair State has only conceded 13 goals all season, in a total of 19 games. The backline has been working hard between senior defender Julie Baker and senior defender Emmi DeNovellis. Sophomore defender Aria Hicks, a transfer student, has also slid in nicely for this Red Hawk team.
Montclair State finished the regular season with a three-game winning streak.
Courtesy of Matt DeLuca Photo credit: Matt DeLuca
Coach Pat Naughter had some strong words for the defense going into the playoffs.
“I think we’re doing a great job defensively,” said Naughter. “We’ve put up a couple of shout-outs now in a row. We’re limiting chances for the other team and when they are getting in behind us. I love the way our backs are playing. Aria Hicks, Julie Baker, and Emmi Denovellis, they’ve been our most consistent. They’ve been healthy. They’ve been available for almost every game.”
With great defense comes great offense as well. The Red Hawks started the season off not finding the right footing on offense, but in the last seven games of the season, they were able to net 18 goals.
Junior forward Mackenzie Albert had been a focal point of the offense the last couple of weeks, scoring two against Rutgers University-Newark and two against William Paterson University, as well as being crowned NJAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Naughter has high praise for how good the offense has been lately.
“Our front three, Mackenzie [Albert], [graduate midfielder Aileen Cahill], and [junior forward Kylie Prendergast] are coming in and giving us great minutes,” said Naughter. “They’re scoring goals. And I think it makes it hard for the other team. We can’t just key in on one of those kids. You got to key in on all of them.”
With their only two NJAC losses coming from TCNJ and Rowan, they have to fight in the playoffs to win because no matter what, they will have to travel to at least one of those teams if they win against Kean University this weekend.
Hicks and Naughter think this team can oversee the regular season woes and end up winning the NJAC.
“We now know how they play,” said Hicks. “I think playoffs are a different intensity, and I think we would be able to bring it if it gets to a rematch in the playoffs”
“I think we can score goals on anybody,” said Naughter. “I think we can defend anybody. You know, I thought that in the TCNJ game, we were a little bit unlucky. We hit a crossbar there and lost the game 2-1 against Rowan, two goals came off set pieces, and a corner kick. And those are slim margins right there. But I’m not worried about either of those teams.”
Most teams have strengths and weaknesses, but Hicks believes that this team going into the playoffs has no weaknesses and they are ready to fight.
“I think a strength is that we are very motivated and that we want to keep the season going,” said Hicks. “And I don’t think we have any weaknesses, we are a strong team and we continue to prove it.”
Montclair State now turns their attention to Kean, their first obstacle in the playoffs. Earlier in the season on Oct. 2, the Red Hawks defeated the Cougars, 1-0 thanks to a Prendergast goal.
The Red Hawks will square off against Kean in the first round of the NJAC tournament.
Courtesy of Matt DeLuca Photo credit: Matt DeLuca
Naughter thinks this Kean team is better than the first time they played them and believes the Red Hawks have grown as well.
“They ended up tying that game against Stockton last night,” said Naughter. “They were the better team, but in soccer sometimes you don’t get the breaks. We rate them very highly. We think they’re one of the better teams we played this year. Super organized, very athletic. Up top, they do a lot of things on set pieces that make the game difficult, and for me, they’re as well coached as anybody in this region. So it’ll be a challenge. Those games are always tight, they’re always tough.”
The Red Hawks takes on the Kean University Cougars tomorrow night at Pittser Field in the first round of the NJAC playoffs. Will the team be able to continue the success that they had at the end of the season going into the NJAC playoffs?
