Tuesday,
September 3, 2013
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Jen Moutenot will be in the middle of a Mahwah defense that figures to be tough to score on this season. |
MAHWAH – The transitive property of equality being if a=b and b=c then a=c does not often translate to the soccer field. But it is a recipe that Mahwah head coach Courtney Carrelha is hoping to be a successful formula after a tough ending to last season.
After losing in a penalty-kick shootout to Kinnelon after 100 minutes of scoreless play in the NJSIAA North 1, Group 2 state sectional quarterfinals, Kinnelon gave Glen Rock everything it could they could handle before falling in overtime. Glen Rock went on to hoist the trophy for winning the Group 2 state title. Knowing that they are theoretically so close and have the bulk of their team returning from last year, the Thunderbirds hope, come November, that it will be their turn to hoist the trophy as the program did in 2011.
“We know we’re capable of doing big things this season,” said senior marking back Blaise Ebanietti. “`We have to come out and play hard every single game. The mark of a good team is to stay consistent and play a solid game every time out. We’re keeping our eye on the prize and that has motivated us ever since we lost in the states last year.”
Mahwah, which was 14-5-2 last season, will be a solid team across the board, especially up front with the team’s two leading scorers returning from last year. Gettysburg-bound striker Jessica Cuttone (18 goals) and Emily Jordan (15 goals) will be a tough one-two punch for opposing defenses. Getting the ball up to those two should be no problem with the steady play of Alissa Puzo, Jaclyn Martinelli and Alieh Busch in the midfield.
“I think we possess the ball beautifully at times, but how often we put the ball in the net will be the key to whether we have a good season or not,” said Carrelha. “We had stretches last year where we really struggled to finish and it eventually caught up with us in the end.”
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Alieh Busch is a key part of Mahawah's experienced midfield. |
The defense will also pair one of North Jersey’s strongest goaltender-sweeper combinations together for a second straight year. Senior keeper Emily Santos, who will play at Division 1 Siena University in 2014, is an athletic goaltender with soft hands. Sweeper Jen Moutenot may be the best player in Bergen County that you’ve never heard of. Steady on-the-ball skills, the ability to come out and mark a top player and a threat to kickstart the offense on an overlapping run, Moutenot makes her presence known in the defensive third. Along with Ebanietti returning in the back, it should be a difficult task to get on the scoreboard against Mahwah this season.
“We have a lot of experience at virtually every position and that gives us a lot of confidence coming into this season,” said Jordan. “With the defense we have and Emily (Santos) back there, we know two or three goals will be enough to get a win. We’re a technically sound team that’s close-knit and we’ve played together for a long time. That will definitely help us against such a tough schedule.”
Mahwah will be tested early facing the likes of Pascack Hills, River Dell and Ramsey in its first five games. How well it fares against the likes of those teams will go a long way towards seeing just how close or far it is from being a championship contender.
“We feel like we’re even stronger this year than we were last year,” said Alissa Puzo. “There will be some tough games that will give us an idea of where we are in the first couple of weeks. Our goals from day one are to win our league, win the section, and finish as state champs.
“The experience is there and we want this bad. We’re just excited to finally get going and we’re prepared to have a memorable season.”
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