Controversial Call Lifts Seton Hall Prep Over MHS In Soccer

By Jonathan Green, a senior at MHS

    When the Montclair High School soccer team faced off against Seton Hall Preparatory on Wednesday, things didn't go quite as the Mounties would have wished.

    Seton Hall's team is ranked Number 2 in the country by ESPN/Rise Magazine, but the Mounties came into the game confident in their abilities to play step for step with Seton Hall's team, which is made up of players from selective club teams around northern New Jersey.

     The Mounties, who were coming off of a narrow loss to West Orange in their home opener on Monday, were ready to bounce back and defend their turf against their foes, who they've developed a cordial rivalry with over the last several seasons. However, the talent on the field sporting Seton Hall blue was able to eke out a victory in the thrilling and controversial 1-0 game.

    Even so, the Mounties played a phenomenal defensive game. The scoreless first half had both teams nervously anticipating the second half. A set piece 10 minutes into the second half yielded the first goal of the game, as Seton Hall junior Mike Vilarino controlled a rebound off of MHS senior Matt Razaire and was able to direct the ball to the back of the net.

     A phenomenal performance by MHS senior goalkeeper and captain Matthew Stith, who had 11 saves, helped keep the Pirates in check and goalless for the rest of the game. Then, in the 65th minute, MHS senior Jake Goldberg received his second yellow card of the day, resulting in his expulsion and putting the Mounties a man down.

    Goldberg contested for a header, and when he landed, the referee blew his whistle, thinking he saw Goldberg commit a foul. Referring to the foul and his reaction, Goldberg said, "I left my heart out on the field there today. I got a little over emotional and it cost my team, but I'll learn from my mistakes. Hopefully, my team can understand; I'm looking forward to bouncing back in a big way."

     Certainly, Goldberg's teammates understand; his loyal teammates expressed their pleasure with the determination and toughness that Goldberg exhibited on the field.

     A little over five minutes after the controversial call, senior captain Kevin McKenna scored what appeared to be the game-tying goal. Junior Evan Uscatu received a long pass, and after successfully fighting off his defender, found himself in a one-on-one battle with the Seton Hall's junior goalkeeper Casey DeFluri. As the two players approached each other, Uscatu was able to touch the ball an instant before he collided with the goalkeeper. McKenna recovered the errant ball, and his first touch was a shot into the back of the net. Following an explosively joyous reaction from the Mountie faithful, the referee disallowed the goal, issuing Uscatu a foul for his collision with DeFluri. 

     Despite the disallowed goal and the pre-game hype of the Seton Hall team, the Montclair High School students and parents who packed the hill and the stands next to Woodman Field created an intimidating environment for the away team.  The Mountie players were extremely disappointed with the manner in which the game unfolded, even with the reassurances that they played extremely selflessly and hard.

     Senior defenseman Matt Razaire commented on the team effort and mood, saying, "The mood of the team was of frustration and disappointment, but the guys brought each other up. That kind of signifies our team; we're all close and everyone supports each other. However, we still lost, and that's far below our standards.  Everyone's motivated to continue working to win every game we have from now on."

     MHS head coach Jack Weber reassured his team that their effort was good, and they still had the opportunity to split their series with Seton Hall Prep, when the Mounties visit the Pirates in West Orange. Another player, in the post-game huddle, pointed out that the Mounties proved they could play with any team on the field.