Montgomery High School girls’ soccer is off to a winning start this season.
The Cougars are currently on a two-game winning streak and have produced a 2-1 record.
Montgomery is coming off a Sept. 9 overtime victory against Old Bridge High School, 1-0.
“Our defense is strong. We are really solid,” Montgomery coach Jen Elgin said. “Our leadership has been great. We pretty much have the same team from last year. Our backline has stayed the same and our newcomers have really stepped up into the roles we lost last year.”
She said offensively the team will lean on senior midfielder and captain Sarah Cudmore.
“Sarah (Cudmore) is just a stellar player. She was able to score the overtime game-winning goal against Old Bridge,” Elgin said. “She was originally a forward and we started putting her in an attacking center-midfielder role. She has been able to get a lot of opportunities offensively.”
Cudmore said she and her teammates are putting a lot effort out onto the field.
“This is one of the best teams I have played with on Montgomery during my years in high school. We are getting the winning results, which is what we are looking for,” she said. “We are used to playing with each other. We have a lot of returners from varsity last year.”
Cudmore said the team just needs to keep up the positive energy and effort up and play with all heart to continue to rack up wins this season.
Sophomore forward Gianna Salib is another strong player up top who is expected to produce goals this season, according to Elgin.
Senior midfielder Emma Stockton, sophomore forward Claire Stockton, and junior Neena O’Meara also help boost the offense.
“This year we are transitioning to a 4-4-3. Our style is hard work. This is one of the most hard working group of girls I have ever seen,” Elgin said. “Basically this season we are just going to play our game. A one-two touch on the ball that we get from defense, midfield to the outside.”
The strength of this team is defense.
“Our backline is absolutely stellar. We had maybe about 20 shots on us on Monday and most were from 20 yards out,” Elgin said. “A lot of that was because of our defense.”
The Cougars have been working on transitions this week in preparation for the team’s next opponent.
“Once we get this quick transition down our offense is going to be solid,” Elgin said.
Defenders junior Talya Deutsch, sophomore Katie Yohrling, senior Allie Stockburger and Allison Cudmore help bolster the defense this year with junior goalkeeper Alison Walsh.
“This is the first year where we had everyone on the defensive line returning and we have just been working really well together,” Walsh said. “We have been switching up the ball better to begin this season defensively. Just knowing when I coming to get the ball or when they need to play it ha really helped us a lot this year.”
She said she knew this year’s defense would be special at the end of last season.
“The work ethic I feel that everyone has is just non-stop. They are not going to stop,” Walsh said. “It will be the 79 minute of the game and will still be busting their butts off to get to every single ball. Our defense has been playing a lot better and we look really strong now.”
Montgomery’s next game is at home in Cougar Stadium on Sept. 14 against Bridgewater-Raritan High School. First kick is slated for 2 p.m.
