Cougars’ County Tournament Run Ends in Hard-Fought Semifinal Loss to Ridge

Nicholas Mistretta

MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent

Montgomery High School girls lacrosse saw its county tournament run come to an end in the semifinal round, falling to Ridge, 14-11, in a competitive matchup between two of the area’s stronger programs.

The Cougars, now 12-3, battled throughout the game but could not overcome Ridge’s second- and third-quarter surge. The teams were tied 3-3 after the opening quarter before Ridge outscored Montgomery 5-2 in the second to take an 8-5 lead into halftime. Ridge added four more goals in the third quarter, building enough separation to hold off Montgomery’s late push.

Montgomery continued to fight in the fourth, outscoring Ridge 3-2 over the final period, but the comeback effort fell short.

Kennedy Dexter led the Cougars’ attack with five goals, delivering one of the team’s strongest offensive performances of the tournament. Carson Benedict added two goals, while Elliana Pizzulli, Emma Scrudato, Sophia Soron and Lexi Lopez each scored once.

Mollie Little helped facilitate the offense with two assists, and Scrudato added one assist to finish with two points.

Pizzulli also made an impact beyond the scoring column, collecting three ground balls, winning six draw controls and causing one turnover. Scrudato added three draw controls, while Lexi Sambol had three ground balls. Sophia Soron finished with two ground balls, and Anya Obe added one.

In goal, Elizabeth Andes made nine saves for Montgomery while facing a Ridge offense that put 23 shots on goal.

Ridge, which improved to 13-4, was led by Lexi Hansen, who finished with five goals and one assist while also winning nine draw controls. Emily Green added three goals and one assist, and Cameron Hansen scored three times. Camryn Ireland, Lauren Swan and Lola Reynolds each added one goal.

The Red Devils held a 16-9 advantage on draw controls, helping them sustain possession through the middle stages of the game. Montgomery held a 13-4 edge in ground balls, according to the team statistics, and generated 20 shots on goal.

Despite the loss, the Cougars remained within striking distance against a Ridge team that capitalized on its second-quarter run and draw-control advantage. Montgomery now turns its attention back to the remainder of the season after a strong county tournament showing.

Photo Credit: Nick Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomry.com