Big Week for Montgomery: Spicer, Pizzuli and Shackelford Lead Cougar Wins
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
Shackelford, Ma Lead Montgomery Past Bernards in 4–1 Victory
The Montgomery High School girls tennis team continued its strong season Wednesday with a 4–1 win over Bernards, improving to 11–3 behind dominant performances in singles and doubles play.
Second singles standout Nicolette Shackelford set the tone with a composed and confident win, defeating Claire Ren 6–1, 6–4. Shackelford used consistent baseline pressure and precision placement to hold off a late rally from Ren and secure Montgomery’s first point of the match.
At third singles, Emily Ma was in complete command, rolling to a 6–0, 6–0 sweep over Elizabeth Sugarmann. Ma controlled every rally from start to finish, extending her unbeaten streak at third singles this season.
Montgomery’s doubles teams continued their outstanding play, not dropping a single game. The first doubles duo of Karina Konyukhov and Mihika Doshi cruised to a 6–0, 6–0 victory over Georgia Bradford and Ella Johansson, displaying sharp net play and strong serving.
Second doubles pair Rachel Silverberg and Lanxin Xiao matched that effort with a 6–0, 6–0 win of their own against Olivia Highland and Anna Torgovnik, sealing the team victory for the Cougars.
Bernards earned its lone point at first singles, where Elizabeth Chen defeated Tongxin Xiao 6–3, 6–3 in a competitive matchup.
Flores Records 21 Digs, Braem and Zacherau Battle in Tight Loss to Gill St. Bernard’s
Montgomery, N.J. — The Montgomery Cougars girls volleyball team pushed Gill St. Bernard’s in two competitive sets but ultimately fell 2–0 (25–20, 25–22) on Thursday night.
Maya Flores turned in a standout defensive performance, recording 21 digs and 4 service aces to keep the Cougars within striking distance throughout the match. At the net, Anna Braem and Polar Zacherau each tallied 3 kills, while Isabella Barber chipped in 8 digs and one ace.
Montgomery held an early lead in the opening set before Gill St. Bernard’s rallied late, capitalizing on a brief run of errors to close it out 25–20. The Cougars responded with resilience in the second set, tying the score multiple times thanks to strong serving from Zacherau and Flores, but the Knights managed to escape 25–22 to secure the straight-set win.
Setter Carly Zissman added 3 digs and an assist, while Pooja Venkat contributed 4 digs in the back row. Middle blocker Leah Fenmore recorded 2 blocks, helping Montgomery slow Gill St. Bernard’s attack through the middle.
Despite the loss, the Cougars showed energy and cohesion, especially in service rotation and floor defense. Montgomery continues to compete well in stretches against strong non-conference opponents.
Zacherau Racks Up 9 Kills, Flores Dominates Defense in Heartbreaking Loss to Watchung Hills
Montgomery, N.J. — The Montgomery Cougars girls volleyball team battled wire to wire on Friday but came up short in a tight two-set loss to Watchung Hills, falling 27–25, 25–20 at home.
Outside hitter Polar Zacherau delivered a strong offensive performance, leading the Cougars with 9 kills and 2 blocks while also adding an ace. Maya Flores was outstanding defensively, piling up an impressive 26 digs to keep lengthy rallies alive and anchor Montgomery’s back row.
The opening set was a thriller, with momentum swinging repeatedly. Anna Braem sparked the Cougars early with 5 kills, and setter Sonia Gupta spread the offense effectively, tallying 14 assists along with 11 digs. Montgomery held a late 24–22 lead, but Watchung Hills fought off two set points and strung together a late service run to steal the frame, 27–25.
In the second set, Montgomery continued to compete behind strong serving from Carly Zissman (2 aces) and Anita Balashova (1 ace, 2 kills). However, the Warriors responded with balanced play from Skylar Ashnault (7 kills) and Bridgett Gaviria (6 kills), pulling away late to close the match.
Despite the loss, the Cougars showed grit defensively and continued improvement in system play, with 63 total digs as a team.
The loss drops Montgomery to 3–18 on the season, while Watchung Hills improves to 5–11.
Formica’s Nine Saves Not Enough as Montgomery Falls to Pingry in SCIAA Quarterfinal
BASKING RIDGE — The Montgomery Cougars girls soccer team saw their Somerset County Tournament run come to an end Saturday with a 7–0 loss to top-seeded Pingry in the quarterfinal round.
Montgomery (8–6) battled early but struggled to contain Pingry’s high-powered attack, led by Maya Nuwayhid, who recorded a hat trick and an assist in a standout performance. Pingry scored four times in the opening half and added three more after the break.
Despite constant pressure, Montgomery goalkeeper Victoria Formica turned in a gritty effort in net, finishing with nine saves. The Cougars defended bravely against wave after wave of Pingry possession, but the Big Blue’s passing precision and finishing ability proved too much to overcome.
Pingry received additional goals from Sydney Ellsworth, Kelly Lemanski, Ella Royster, and Alyssa Hammoud, while Kallie Stern, Katharine Patten, and Maya Rebimbas each contributed assists.
Montgomery continued to work through the final whistle and showed resilience even as the match tilted heavily in Pingry’s favor. Though eliminated from county tournament play, the Cougars now shift their focus to preparing for state tournament competition, where they’ll look to build on the strong team chemistry and defensive toughness that has highlighted much of their season.
Spicer’s Overtime Winner Sends Montgomery Past Bridgewater-Raritan into County Semifinals
Montgomery, N.J. — In a dramatic finish under the Cougar Stadium lights, Ryan Spicer buried the golden goal in overtime to lift Montgomery to a 3–2 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan in the Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday evening.
With the win, the Cougars improve to 12–2–1 and advance to the semifinal round.
Bridgewater struck first midway through the opening half, but Montgomery answered minutes later when Luke Oliu powered home a finish to tie the game 1–1. The Panthers regained the lead early in the second half on a strike from Ian Singh, but the Cougars refused to fold.
Montgomery found the equalizer when Christian Truppi drove a shot inside the far post to level the game at 2–2, thanks to a setup from Logan Miller. Neither side could break through in regulation as both teams battled through physical midfield play and tight defensive marking.
In overtime, Montgomery came out firing, pressing the Bridgewater back line. The breakthrough came off a build-up down the right side when Chase Mian slipped a pass into the box. Spicer made the most of the moment, slotting home the decisive goal and sending the Cougars and home crowd into celebration.
Montgomery controlled much of the play, finishing with nine shots on goal to Bridgewater’s four. Cougar goalkeeper Alex Acot made two saves in the win, while Bridgewater’s Peter Caterinicchia kept his team in the match with nine saves.
Montgomery Stat Leaders
| Player | Goals | Assists |
| Ryan Spicer | 1 | 0 |
| Luke Oliu | 1 | 0 |
| Christian Truppi | 1 | 0 |
| Sid Goyal | 0 | 1 |
| Logan Miller | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Mian | 0 |
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com