Junior back Carla Osborne looked toward the Montclair sideline before lining up for a free kick just three minutes into a showdown with Morris Knolls and got the green light. She raised her right hand and then, as it dropped to her side, she pulled her left hand off her hip, took four steps and connected with the ball.
Osborne hit a rocket with her left foot and it took off, ripping 29 yards through the air and past the keeper.
Montclair, No. 18 in the NJ.com Top 20, took an early one-goal lead on that direct kick and played the rest of the game on its own terms and at its own pace, winning 2-0 and snapping No. 12 Morris Knolls’ 11-game winning streak. It was the best game that the Mounties have played all year.
“The whole season we have been struggling to score goals,” said Osborne, a junior captain who plays in the middle back line that features three players. “It’s really important for us to get going early because we know we can defend. That is one of our strong suits. It was a great feeling to get that goal just a few minutes into the game, especially against a team like Morris Knolls. A win here is really good for us.”
Montclair played aggressively the entire game on the road and was the first to ball more often than not.
Richmond commit Morgane Zinn personifies the edge that Montclair has played with this season. She creates plays for Montclair all over the field. Zinn lines up at forward, situates herself in the midfield or plays on defense. The senior operates with intensity no matter where she plays and sometimes has to dial it back.
Zinn got a yellow card against Morris Knolls, came out for a few minutes and then checked back and made sure that her team was going to ride home from Morris County with a victory. She was a game-changer all afternoon and it started by drawing the foul that set up Osborne’s goal in the third minute.
In the last 10 minutes of the game, Zinn drifted back and joined Osborne, junior Ella Overton and rookie Kaitlyn Moshovos. That added another strong defender to a back line loaded with talent.
Overton did not let up any ground on defense against Morris Knolls and also stepped up offensively with a score. She went forward in the 13th minute, got the ball in the box and dribbled into space to place a shot into the side of the net. Overton also scored two days earlier in a win over Pascack Valley.
“I had a similar shot in our last game,” said Overton, who has four career goals. “That really gave me the confidence to drive down the field again today and take my own shot.”
Junior keeper Sophie Porter made a couple of really nice saves against Morris Knolls, including a diving stop with 10 minutes left. That shot could have completely shifted the momentum if Porter didn’t get a hand on it.
Albany commit Angie McLoughlin does not get the credit she deserves as a defensive-minded midfielder, but her role on his team allows Montclair to play three in the back without worrying about its defense. The senior covers a lot of ground and she’s strong on the ball. McLoughlin also doesn’t panic. She looks for the right pass and won’t hesitate to send it to a back if that allows Montclair to switch the field.
It’s all about figuring out what works best in order to stay connected and get the ball to the offense.
Junior Val Pera and sophomores Delilah Nicoll and Pia Olkowski also stepped up in the midfield. Sophomores Autumn Donegan and Raina Ali helped put pressure on the Morris Knolls from the jump. Senior Julia Bachman, junior Maya Barrett and sophomore Ellie Himes came in off the bench to support the effort.
Montclair has played well in Essex County this season, but this out-of-conference win showed that the Mounties are back on the statewide radar. That’s a good feeling for a program that had an off year in 2023.
“Two years ago, we were really on a high, but then there was a big dropoff last year,” said Osborne. “We knew we had good players coming into the season and we knew this was the year for us. With three in the back, that was something we we’re working toward all summer and it’s good to see the results and see it pay off. Every game means more now and we’re looking to really make a statement in states.”
Brandon Gould can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @BrandonGouldHS.
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