Montgomery Roundup: Garrison Strikes Early, Radley and Seamon Shine, Tennis Sweeps Hillsborough
Nicholas Mistretta
MHS ’79 Cougar Sports Correspondent
Field Hockey: Garrison Scores, But Bridgewater-Raritan Pulls Away Late
Bridgewater-Raritan 4, Montgomery 1
Monday, Oct. 6 – Montgomery, N.J.
Montgomery struck first, but visiting Bridgewater-Raritan rallied in the second half to secure a 4–1 win on Monday.
Ella Garrison gave the Cougars an early lead with a goal in the first quarter, and goalkeeper Phoebe Rounds kept Bridgewater off the board through halftime with 10 saves.
The Panthers found their rhythm in the third quarter behind standout Zaina Ahmed, who scored twice and assisted another. Teagan Hughes added a goal and an assist, while Makenzie Harris capped the scoring in the fourth quarter.
Despite the loss, Montgomery generated steady pressure, finishing with 10 shots on goal and nine penalty corners, while Bridgewater managed 14 shots and seven corners.
Montgomery fell to 6–6 on the season, while Bridgewater improved to 7–4–1.
Girls Tennis: Cougars Sweep Hillsborough in Tournament Quarterfinals
Montgomery 5, Hillsborough 0
Tuesday, Oct. 7 – NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 4 Quarterfinals
Montgomery rolled into the sectional semifinals with a commanding 5–0 sweep over Hillsborough.
Top-seeded Tongxin Xiao set the tone with a flawless 6–0, 6–0 victory at first singles, followed by dominant performances fromNicolette Shackelford (6–0, 6–1) and Emily Ma (6–1, 6–2).
In doubles, Mihika Doshi and Karina Konyukhov took straight sets, 6–1, 6–4, while Lanxin Xiao and Rachel Silverberg battled through a tight first set to prevail 7–5, 6–3.
The win improved Montgomery’s record to 9–2, keeping the team’s postseason run alive.
Girls Volleyball: Cougars Fall to Rutgers Prep
Rutgers Prep 2, Montgomery 0
Tuesday, Oct. 7 – Montgomery, N.J.
Facing one of the county’s top programs, Montgomery battled but fell in straight sets to Rutgers Prep, 25–19, 25–12.
The Argonauts were led by Anushka Gubbala with five kills and five digs, while setter Rebecca Panacek distributed 10 assists and fired five aces.
The Cougars showed flashes of strong defense and energy but couldn’t overcome Rutgers Prep’s balanced attack, dropping to 3–13 on the season.
Girls Soccer: Radley and Seamon Power Cougars into Next Round
Bridgewater, NJ – The Montgomery girls volleyball team ran into a tough opponent on Friday as they fell in straight sets to Bridgewater-Raritan, 25-13, 25-13, 25-16. With the loss, the Cougars dropped to 2-11, Montgomery 4, Gill St. Bernard’s 0
Tuesday, Oct. 7 – Somerset County Tournament, Second Round
Montgomery’s offense was in top form Tuesday, cruising past Gill St. Bernard’s 4–0 to advance in the Somerset County Tournament.
Emma Radley and Emma Seamon each scored twice to lead the charge, with assists coming from Amelia Montas, Alex Kasimatis, and Quinn Donahue.
Goalkeeper Victoria Formica anchored the defense with nine saves to preserve the shutout, as Montgomery improved to 7–5 on the year.
Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com