Garrison, Benedict Keep Field Hockey Alive; Miller Finds End Zone as Cougars Battle Through Tough Week
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
Field Hockey – Garrison scores, but Hun attack overwhelms Montgomery in 6-1 loss
SKILLMAN — The Cougars generated chances but couldn’t slow a relentless Hun attack Monday, falling 6-1 in a nonconference match.
Hun (8-6) struck early and never really let Montgomery breathe, scoring twice in the opening quarter and building a 3-0 lead by halftime. Delaney Jones was the difference. The forward scored four goals and added an assist, figuring in five of Hun’s six goals. Evelyn Miller added two goals for Hun, which finished with 14 shots on cage.
Montgomery (9-8-1) kept pushing and finally broke through in the third quarter, when midfielder Ella Garrison scored to cut the deficit to 4-1. Garrison’s goal briefly gave the Cougars some momentum and marked her second straight game on the scoresheet.
But Hun answered almost immediately. Jones completed her hat trick — and then added a fourth — in the third quarter to stretch the Raiders’ lead back out. Miller tacked on her second of the day in the fourth to close the scoring.
Montgomery actually created plenty of looks. The Cougars put 12 shots on goal and earned seven penalty corners. But Hun’s defense — and goalie Lynsey Parrott — held up. Parrott finished with nine saves.
The Cougars also spent long stretches under pressure in their own circle, where Hun was especially dangerous on set pieces. The Raiders earned 12 corners and converted nine of them into goals or primary scoring chances, repeatedly crashing the post and cleaning up rebounds.
Montgomery goalie Phoebe Rounds recorded six saves in the loss.
Field Hockey – Garrison, Benedict score late as Montgomery battles to 2-2 draw with Bernards
SKILLMAN — Montgomery didn’t win, but it didn’t go quietly, either.
Down a goal in the fourth quarter, the Cougars got a big equalizer from Carson Benedict and held on through overtime for a 2-2 draw with Bernards earlier this week.
Montgomery (9-8-1) outshot Bernards 13-5 and produced steady pressure in the circle, especially in the second half, but ran into strong goalkeeping from Bernards’ Morgan Monica, who finished with nine saves.
Bernards (9-10-1) opened the scoring in the second quarter, then held that 1-0 lead until halftime. Montgomery answered after the break. In the third quarter, junior midfielder Ella Garrison pulled the Cougars even, making it 1-1 and continuing her run of clutch scoring.
The fourth quarter turned into a back-and-forth scramble.
Bernards briefly regained the lead on a goal from Emerson Schroeder, assisted by Keenan Metro, to go up 2-1. But Montgomery refused to go away. Benedict found the cage late in regulation to tie it at 2-2 and force overtime.
Neither team could break through in the extra session.
Montgomery goalie Phoebe Rounds stopped five shots to keep the Cougars in it, including key plays in transition in the final minutes of regulation and in OT.
Montgomery earned seven penalty corners on the day and controlled long stretches of possession but couldn’t find the winner. Still, the result showed resilience: twice trailing, twice answering.
Football – Miller scores, but Montgomery football falls to Rahway, 28–7
RAHWAY — Montgomery ran the ball hard, but Rahway ran it harder.
The Cougars were handed a 28–7 road loss Friday night as Rahway used a dominant ground game and three touchdown passes to pull away and drop Montgomery to 6-3 on the season.
Rahway (6-3) set the tone early and never trailed. Quarterback Jaquan Robinson opened the scoring with a 12-yard touchdown strike to Triston Driscal in the first quarter to make it 7-0. Robinson went on to throw three touchdown passes on the night, finishing 6-for-9 for 106 yards and no interceptions.
Montgomery answered once, midway through the second quarter. After falling behind 14-0 on a 37-yard Rahway touchdown pass from Robinson to Synceir Toussaint, the Cougars punched back with their best drive of the night.
Running back Caiden Miller finished that drive by powering in from 3 yards out for Montgomery’s lone score. Kicker Zach Mutton added the extra point to cut the deficit to 14-7.
Miller was the Cougars’ offensive bright spot. He carried 12 times for 102 yards and the touchdown, including a 66-yard burst that flipped field position and sparked that second-quarter push. As a team, Montgomery ran for 178 yards on 33 attempts.
But Rahway answered immediately and never gave momentum back.
Before halftime, Rahway’s ground game — led by running back Andrew Avent — made it 21-7 on a 3-yard touchdown run. Avent was nearly unstoppable all night. He carried 23 times for 312 yards and a touchdown, ripping off chunk gains and keeping Montgomery’s defense on the field. Rahway rushed for 322 yards as a team.
Robinson added his third passing touchdown in the third quarter, hitting Ziare Fields from 20 yards out to stretch the lead to 28-7. That score ended up being the last of the game.
Montgomery tried to claw back, but Rahway’s defense clamped down in the second half. The Cougars were held scoreless after the break and intercepted twice overall. Montgomery quarterbacks combined to go 5-for-13 for 27 yards through the air.
Mutton contributed in all phases for Montgomery. In addition to the extra point and a 15-yard reception, he ran for 74 yards on nine carries, handled kick returns, and punted four times for 152 total yards, including a 55-yarder that flipped the field.
Defensively, linebacker Zach Furey (12 total tackles) and Mutton (8 tackles) were active for the Cougars, and Xavier Harrigan and Mac Priebracha each added six stops. Montgomery was tested up front all night by Rahway’s downhill rushing attack and steady offensive line play.
Fields (20-yard TD catch) and Toussaint (4 catches, 74 yards, TD) led Rahway’s receiving group, and Avent even chipped in on defense and special teams, helping Rahway control field position. Rahway punted only once.
Montgomery now sits at 6-3 with one regular-season game left.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com