Seamon’s Hat Trick, Radley and Dunn Power Cougars Past Phillipsburg

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Montgomery 5, Phillipsburg 0
Wednesday, Oct. 8 – Cougar Stadium, Montgomery, N.J.

The Montgomery Cougars girls soccer team kept its late-season surge rolling Wednesday afternoon with a commanding 5–0 shutout of Phillipsburg at Cougar Stadium.

Emma Seamon led the charge with a dazzling hat trick, scoring three goals to go along with a relentless offensive presence that kept the Stateliners on their heels all afternoon. Emma Radley added a goal and an assist, and Alexis Dunn found the back of the net to round out the scoring for Montgomery, which improved to 8–5 on the year.

From the opening whistle, the Cougars dictated tempo. Quinn Donahue set up two first-half goals with pinpoint passing, while Ryane Riddell and Sophia Anderson each contributed assists in a balanced team effort. Montgomery built a 3–0 lead by halftime and never looked back, tacking on two more goals after the break.

In net, Victoria Formica turned away all five shots on goal, earning the shutout behind a defense that swarmed to every challenge.

Jerdonek, Truppi Lead Cougars to Dominant 6-0 Shutout of Ridge

The Montgomery boys soccer team continued its dominant season Wednesday afternoon, overpowering Ridge 6–0 in a decisive home victory to improve to 11-2-1.

Forward Mac Jerdonek delivered a standout performance, netting a hat trick in the first half as Montgomery jumped out to a 4–0 lead before halftime. The Cougars’ offense stayed relentless after the break, with Christian Truppi adding two goals and Sid Goyal scoring once to cap the six-goal outburst.

Goyal also orchestrated much of the attack, finishing with two assists, while Dylan Heines added two assists of his own. Lachlan Daly contributed an assist as Montgomery controlled possession and dictated tempo from start to finish.

Defensively, the Cougars were just as strong. Senior goalkeeper Alex Acot needed only two saves to secure the shutout, as Montgomery’s back line frustrated Ridge throughout the match and limited them to just two shots on goal.

Montgomery finished with 10 shots on target and showcased sharp passing, composure, and depth across its lineup. Ridge, which entered the match at 6–4, struggled to gain rhythm or generate scoring chances against Montgomery’s organized pressure.

Braem’s 11 Kills Not Enough as Montgomery Falls to WW-P South in Four Sets

Montgomery, N.J. — Despite a strong offensive effort from senior Anna Braem, the Montgomery girls volleyball team came up short Tuesday in a 3–1 loss to West Windsor-Plainsboro South (14–25, 25–21, 19–25, 0–0, 0–0).

Braem delivered a powerful performance at the net with 11 kills and 8 digs, while Maya Flores anchored the defense with 19 digs and contributed 5 kills and 2 aces. Setter Sonia Gupta kept the Cougar offense moving, dishing out 22 assists and adding 15 digs.

After dropping the opening set 25–14, Montgomery responded with energy in the second set, tightening serve receive and reducing errors. Strong serving from Polar Zacherau (2 aces) and a late kill from Braem helped the Cougars earn a 25–21 win to even the match.

WW-P South regained momentum in the third set behind steady play from Elizabeth Casey (6 kills) and Pranavi Pamireddy, who controlled the service line with 5 aces and added 15 assists. Despite a late surge from Montgomery, the Pirates closed it out 25–19 and carried that momentum to finish the match in four sets.

Montgomery received additional offensive support from Anshika Verma (4 kills, 2 blocks) and Zacherau (5 kills), while Luiza Honorio contributed 11 digs defensively.

The loss drops Montgomery to 3–15, while WW-P South improves to 12–8 on the season. The Cougars showed grit and stretches of strong play, particularly in the second and third sets, but couldn’t overcome South’s serving pressure and late rallies.

Pizzuli Scores Twice, Garrison and Gomez Lift Montgomery Past Princeton in 4–3 Thriller

Princeton, N.J. — In one of their most determined efforts of the season, the Montgomery Cougars field hockey team battled past Princeton for a 4–3 road victory on Wednesday, improving to 7–6 on the year.

Forward Elli Pizzuli delivered a dynamic performance, scoring two goals, including the go-ahead strike late in the third quarter. Ella Garrison and Maddie Gomez each added goals in a well-rounded offensive showing that helped the Cougars outlast a relentless Princeton attack.

Montgomery opened the scoring in the first quarter when Pizzuli drove into the circle and buried a low shot to take a 1–0 lead. Princeton answered early in the second quarter to tie the game, but Montgomery quickly regained the lead when Garrison finished off a setup from Sophia Soron. The Tigers struck again before halftime, sending the game into the break tied 2–2.

The intensity rose in the third quarter. Princeton briefly took its first lead of the game, but Pizzuli responded minutes later with her second tally, pulling Montgomery even at 3–3.

In the fourth, sophomore Maddie Gomez delivered the game-winner, capitalizing inside the circle to put the Cougars back on top for good.

Montgomery had 10 shots on goal and converted one penalty corner, while Princeton recorded 16 shots and nine corners. The Cougar defense held strong in the closing minutes, anchored by goalkeepers Carrie Anderson and Phoebe Rounds, who combined for nine saves in the win. Senior Lexi Lopez also contributed a key defensive save.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com